Gas analyzer cuvettes
First Claim
1. A cuvette which comprises:
- a sampling passage defined by wall means having through apertures which are located on opposite sides of the sampling passage and are aligned along an optical path traversing the sampling passage; and
windows in said apertures to keep a gas in said passage from escaping through said apertures and to isolate the sampling passage from contaminants in the surrounding environs;
each said window being fabricated from a segment of infrared radiation transmitting polymeric film and allowing a beam of radiation originated on one side of said cuvette to traverse the gas in said sampling passage and then be processed on the opposite side of the cuvette;
said cuvette further comprising a retainer ring installed in each said aperture to keep the window therein flat and distortion-free and to immobilize the windows in a parallel, spaced apart relationship with a selected, optical path length therebetween; and
each said segment of film having a portion which surrounds the retainer ring and is clamped between the periphery of the retainer ring and the perimeter of the aperture to seal the gap therebetween; and
each said retainer ring having a fit with the cuvette wall means around the periphery of the aperture in which said retainer ring is installed that provides window stretching pinch points between the retainer ring and the cuvette around the perimeter of the retainer ring.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Gas analyzer systems which include: (1) a transducer for outputting a signal indicative of the concentration of a specified gas in a sample which may contain that gas, and (2) an airway adapter or cuvette with a flow passage for confining the sample to a particular path traversing the transducer. The cuvettes feature radiant energy transmitting windows which are flush mounted in apertures on opposite sides of the cuvette flow passage and are fabricated from a polymer such as biaxially oriented polypropylene which is malleable, yet resistant to wrinkling, warping, and other forms of distortion. Retainer rings keep the windows flat and distortion free with an accurately reproducible spacing between the windows.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A cuvette which comprises:
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a sampling passage defined by wall means having through apertures which are located on opposite sides of the sampling passage and are aligned along an optical path traversing the sampling passage; and windows in said apertures to keep a gas in said passage from escaping through said apertures and to isolate the sampling passage from contaminants in the surrounding environs; each said window being fabricated from a segment of infrared radiation transmitting polymeric film and allowing a beam of radiation originated on one side of said cuvette to traverse the gas in said sampling passage and then be processed on the opposite side of the cuvette; said cuvette further comprising a retainer ring installed in each said aperture to keep the window therein flat and distortion-free and to immobilize the windows in a parallel, spaced apart relationship with a selected, optical path length therebetween; and each said segment of film having a portion which surrounds the retainer ring and is clamped between the periphery of the retainer ring and the perimeter of the aperture to seal the gap therebetween; and each said retainer ring having a fit with the cuvette wall means around the periphery of the aperture in which said retainer ring is installed that provides window stretching pinch points between the retainer ring and the cuvette around the perimeter of the retainer ring. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of assembling a cuvette which comprises the steps of:
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providing a cuvette component having wall means providing a sampling passage and apertures which are located on opposite sides of the sampling passage and aligned along a path traversing the sampling passage; and installing windows in said apertures to keep a gas in said passage from escaping through said apertures and to isolate the sampling passage from contaminants in the surrounding environs; said windows being fabricated from an infrared radiation transmitting polymer, whereby a beam of infrared radiation originated on one side of said cuvette can traverse the gas in said sampling passage and then be processed on the opposite side of the cuvette; and each said window being installed by; placing an aperture spanning and overlapping blank fabricated from a polymeric, window-forming, infrared radiation transmitting stock material over an aperture; providing a retainer ring dimensioned to fit the aperture and to be retained therein with a pinch-point-providing fit between the retainer ring and said wall means around the perimeter of the aperture; and so displacing said retainer ring through said aperture toward said sampling passage as to;
(a) pinch said blank between the retainer ring and said wall means around the perimeter of the retainer ring and thereby tension said blank and eliminate distortions that might be present in a window-defining segment of said blank; and
(b) displace said window defining segment to and immobilize it at a precisely defined locus in said wall means to provide a flat, accurately located, aperture spanning window with a portion of the blank surrounding the retainer ring and sealing the gap between the perimeter of the retainer ring and the perimeter of the aperture. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification