Gas detector

• US 4,490,715 A
• Filed: 09/14/1981
• Issued: 12/25/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Asahi Matsushita Electric Works Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Asahi Matsushita Electric Works Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Akiyama, Shigeo, Kusanagi, Shigekazu, Nobutani, Tohru, Kawamura, Hideo
• Primary Examiner(s): Brigance, Gerald L.
• Application Number:
  US06/302,161
• Time in Patent Office: 1,198 Days
• Field of Search: 340/632, 340/634, 338/34, 73/23, 73/27 R, 422/98
• US Class Current: 340/634
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/16 using electric detection means G01M3/045, G01M3/06, G01M3/12, G01M3/20, G01M3/24, G01M3/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/20 using special tracer materials, e.g. dye, fluorescent material, radioactive material
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/12 of a solid body in dependence upon absorption of a fluid; of a solid body in dependence upon reaction with a fluid , for detecting components in the fluid
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0031 comprising two or more sensors, e.g. a sensor array electrochemical electrode arrays G01N27/27

Abstract

A gas detector for detecting the leak of fuel gases, such as hydrogen gas, methane gas, butane gas, with improved reliability in detecting the gas leak. Said gas detector includes a main gas sensing element showing the change in resistance to target gases, such as methane, butane, hydrogen, as well as to non-target gases, such as alcohol, steam, smoke; an auxiliary gas sensing element showing change in resistance rather to non-target gas than to target gas; the first comparator receiving the output induced by resistance change in main gas sensor, as input; the second comparator with reference voltage set at lower level than that for the first comparator; and a gate circuit for blocking the alarm driving signal of the second comparator by the output induced by resistance change in auxiliary gas sensor. The output obtained from either said gate circuit or the first comparator is used for alarm driving signal of alarm circuit.

Claims

1. A gas detector comprising:

a main signal processing unit, including a main gas sensing element showing a change in electric resistance value to both target and non-target gases and putting out a first alarm driving signal by detecting that the target and non-target gas exceeds a first specified level;

a sub-signal-processing unit including (1) a circuit unit to give a second alarm driving signal when the detected target and non-target gas exceeds a second specified level of concentration set lower than the first specified level, through the use of the main gas sensing element; and

(2) a gate signal trigger unit for blocking the second alarm driving signal when the concentration of the non-target gas exceeds a third specified level, said gate signal trigger unit comprising an auxiliary gas sensing element showing a change in electric resistance in response to particularly non-target gas and a gate circuit unit coupled to the auxiliary gas sensing element; and

an alarm triggering means that is actuated by receiving the first or second alarm driving signal.

2. A gas detector as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the main signal processing unit includes a first comparator having a first reference voltage applied thereto and receiving a voltage varying depending on the resistance value of the main gas sensing element as an input; and

said circuit unit to give the second alarm driving signal in said sub-signal-processing unit includes a second comparator having a second reference voltage lower than that of said first comparator, and receiving a voltage varying depending on the resistance value of the main gas sensing element as an input.

3. A gas detector as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the gate signal giving unit includes a third comparator receiving a voltage varying depending on the resistance value of said auxiliary gas sensing element as input; and

the gate circuit unit includes an AND circuit receiving an inversion signal of the third comparator as well as the second alarm driving signal as input.

4. A gas detector as set forth in claim 3, wherein the gate circuit unit includes an AND circuit receiving the output from the third comparator having the output from the auxiliary gas sensing element and the output from said second comparator as parallel inputs.

5. A gas detector as set forth in claim 1, wherein the main gas sensor includes at least 2 pairs of elements having different types of target gases to which they show resistance change.

6. A gas detector as set forth in claim 1, wherein the auxiliary gas sensor includes 2 or more types of pairing elements having different non-target gases to which they show the resistance charge, respectively.

7. A gas detector set forth in claim 1, wherein the main gas sensing element is a metallic oxide wherein a resistance thereof decreases with an increase in concentration of target gas.

8. A gas detector as set forth in claim 1, wherein the auxiliary gas sensing element is a metallic oxide wherein a resistance thereof decreases with an increase in conventration of non-target gas.

9. A gas detector as set forth in claim 1, wherein the auxiliary gas sensing element is a metallic oxide wherein a resistance thereof increases with an increase in concentration of non-target gas.