Moisture content and gas sampling device
First Claim
1. A test system for detecting a contaminant in a pressurant gas within the free internal space of an enclosure, said enclosure having a gas coupling and an externally operable valve for controlling gas admission and removal, comprising:
- a coupling device for mating to said enclosure gas coupling and having manual means for actuating said enclosure externally operable valve;
a colometric detector tube comprising an elongated column of granular material subject to color change for visual qualitative and quantitative indication of said contaminant when gas containing said contaminant is passed through said detector tube;
a vacuum source, a sample vessel and an interconnection system of gas-tight tubing and valves arranged to evacuate at least partially said coupling device, said detector tube, said sample vessel and said inter connection system when a predetermined setting of said valves is extant, said gas within said enclosure being at least partially withdrawn through said detector tube when a second predetermined combination of settings of said valves is extant, the amount of said contaminant drawn through said detector tube being indicated by the length of the color-changed portion of said column of material in said detector tube.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and method for measuring minute quantities of moisture and other contaminants within sealed enclosures such as electronic assemblies which may be subject to large external atmospheric pressure variations.
An array of vacuum quality valves (20 thru 32) is arranged to permit cleansing of the test apparatus of residual atmospheric components from a vacuum source (13). This purging operation evacuates a gas sample bottle (36), which is then connected by valve settings to provide the drive for withdrawing a gas sample from the sealed enclosure under test into the sample bottle through a colometric detector tube (Drager tube) (19) which indicates moisture content. The sample bottle (36) may be disconnected and its contents (drawn from the test enclosure) separately subjected to mass spectrograph analysis. The use of an inert reference gas (12) admitted during the test, facilitates the determination of free volume and internal pressure within the test unit.
31 Citations
11 Claims
-
1. A test system for detecting a contaminant in a pressurant gas within the free internal space of an enclosure, said enclosure having a gas coupling and an externally operable valve for controlling gas admission and removal, comprising:
- a coupling device for mating to said enclosure gas coupling and having manual means for actuating said enclosure externally operable valve;
a colometric detector tube comprising an elongated column of granular material subject to color change for visual qualitative and quantitative indication of said contaminant when gas containing said contaminant is passed through said detector tube;
a vacuum source, a sample vessel and an interconnection system of gas-tight tubing and valves arranged to evacuate at least partially said coupling device, said detector tube, said sample vessel and said inter connection system when a predetermined setting of said valves is extant, said gas within said enclosure being at least partially withdrawn through said detector tube when a second predetermined combination of settings of said valves is extant, the amount of said contaminant drawn through said detector tube being indicated by the length of the color-changed portion of said column of material in said detector tube. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
- a coupling device for mating to said enclosure gas coupling and having manual means for actuating said enclosure externally operable valve;
Specification