Hermetic seal leak detection apparatus with variable size test chamber
First Claim
1. A hermetic seal leak detection apparatus comprised of:
- a hermetically sealed object under test wherein said hermetically sealed object under test has an internal test object pressure;
at least one variable size gas space test chamber enclosed in a flexible housing which surrounds said hermetically sealed object under test, wherein said variable size gas space test chamber has a measurable test chamber pressure;
at least one expandable and contractible bellows operatively coupled with said variable size gas space test chamber;
wherein said at least one expandable and contractible bellows controls size of said variable size gas space chamber by movement of said bellows alternatively causing said test chamber pressure to be unequal to said internal test object pressure; and
at least one sensing device operatively coupled with said variable size gas space chamber to sense changes in said test chamber pressure over a specified time duration wherein said internal test object pressure and said test chamber pressure are identified by readings of said sensing device producing values that define a pressure value curve which indicates the presence or absence of a leak in said hermetically sealed object under test.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is a versatile hermetic seal leak detection apparatus for testing hermetically sealed containers and devices for leaks without the need to create a custom or specially manufactured testing chamber conforming to the dimensions of the specific object under test. The size of the testing chamber may be mechanically adjusted by the novel use of bellows to reduce and optimize the amount of gas space in a test chamber which surrounds the hermetically sealed object under test. The present invention allows the size of the test chamber to be selectively adjusted during testing to provide an optimum test chamber gas space. The present invention may be further adapted to isolate and test specific portions of the hermetically sealed object under test for leaks.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A hermetic seal leak detection apparatus comprised of:
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a hermetically sealed object under test wherein said hermetically sealed object under test has an internal test object pressure; at least one variable size gas space test chamber enclosed in a flexible housing which surrounds said hermetically sealed object under test, wherein said variable size gas space test chamber has a measurable test chamber pressure; at least one expandable and contractible bellows operatively coupled with said variable size gas space test chamber; wherein said at least one expandable and contractible bellows controls size of said variable size gas space chamber by movement of said bellows alternatively causing said test chamber pressure to be unequal to said internal test object pressure; and at least one sensing device operatively coupled with said variable size gas space chamber to sense changes in said test chamber pressure over a specified time duration wherein said internal test object pressure and said test chamber pressure are identified by readings of said sensing device producing values that define a pressure value curve which indicates the presence or absence of a leak in said hermetically sealed object under test. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification