METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TESTING QUALITY OF SEAL AND PACKAGE INTEGRITY

• US 20150316441A1
• Filed: 12/05/2013
• Published: 11/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: University of Florida Research Foundation, Incorporated (State University System of Florida)
• Original Assignee: University of Florida Research Foundation, Incorporated (State University System of Florida)
• Inventors: SUBHASH, GHATU, SVORONOS, SPYROS A., SIMON, AARON P., JESS, ALEXANDER D., HO, CHEUK TING, WIGGEMANS, YANNIK K., AXELROD, ALLAN M., WARKANDER, MICHAEL E., MAXEY, MICHAEL D.
• Application Number:
  US14/650,010
• Publication Number:
  US 20150316441A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/0028 Force sensors associated with force applying means G01L5/0052, G01L5/0057, G01L5/0061 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/0052 measuring forces due to impact G01L5/0061, G01L5/14 take precedence; impact testing of structures G01M7/08; impact testing of material G01N3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/147 for flexible or elastic containers
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/3209 Details, e.g. container closure devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/3218 for flexible or elastic containers
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/36 by detecting change in dimensions of the structure being tested
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 7/08 Shock-testing

Abstract

Embodiments relate to a method and apparatus for determining information relating to a leak in a package. In an embodiment, a solenoid/gravity system is used to rapidly pressurize a flexible package to a desired pressure and to rapidly withdraw the pressurizing agent, where another solenoid is used to rapidly and retractably impact a region on the package under test. Sensors are used to sense data corresponding to a wave in the package generated from the region of impact. The data is acquired and processed to determine information regarding a leak in the package, such as whether there is a leak in the package under test, the size of the leak, and/or the location of the leak.

Claims

1. A method of leak detection of a package comprising:

pressurizing a package by applying an initial pressure to the package;

impacting a region of the package;

acquiring data relating to the package behavior after impacting the region of the package;

determining information relating to a leak in the package from the data relating to the package behavior after impacting the region of the package.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the initial pressure is applied by applying one or more forces to an external surface of the package.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein acquiring data relating to the package behavior after impacting the region of the package is accomplished via one or more sensors.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining information relating to a leak in the package comprises normalizing data related to a first peak magnitude from the at least one sensor and comparing the normalized data to a threshold.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein acquiring data relating to the package behavior after impacting the region of the package is accomplished via one or more sensors, wherein applying the one or more forces to the external surface of the package comprises applying the one or more forces via the one or more sensors.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the package is held in place during and after impacting the region of the package until at least a portion of the data is acquired.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein a structure used to hold the package in placed is fixed in place during and after impacting the region of the package until at least a portion of the data is acquired.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein there is a delay of at least 100 msec between pressurizing the package and impacting the region of the package.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the package comprises a flexible and/or compliant portion.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the region of the package impacted is within the flexible and/or compliant portion.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein acquiring data relating to the package behavior after impacting the region of the package comprises acquiring data relating to the behavior of the flexible and/or compliant portion.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data acquired is a force a portion of an external surface of the package applies to a sensor in contact with the portion of the external surface.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data acquired is a displacement a portion of an external surface of the package experiences.

14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

repeating impacting the region of the package,

acquiring data relating to the package behavior after impacting the region of the package, and

determining information relating to a leak in the package from the data relating to the package behavior after impacting the region of the package,

wherein determining information comprises comparing the data acquired from impacting the region of the package the first time and the data acquired from impacting the region of the packing a second time.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein pressurizing, impacting, and acquiring is accomplished in less than 0.5 seconds.

16. The method according to claim 3, wherein the one or more sensors is two or more sensors.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the initial pressure is maintained during impacting and acquiring.

18. A system for leak detection of a package, comprising:

a pressurizer, wherein the pressurizer applies an initial pressure to the package;

an impacter, wherein the impacter impacts a region of the package; and

at least one sensor for acquiring data relating to the package behavior after the impacter impacts the region of the package.

19. The system according to claim 18, further comprising:

a processer, wherein the processer processes the data relating to the package behavior after the impacter impacts the region of the package to determine information relating to a leak in the package.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the signal processing module is configured to normalize data corresponding to a first peak of a signal received by the data acquisition module and compare the normalized data to a threshold.