Method for testing the tightness of water conducting components in a housing

• US 9,188,501 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2010
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: INFICON GmbH (Inficon Holding AG), Infinicon GmbH
• Original Assignee: INFICON GmbH (Inficon Holding AG)
• Inventors: Grosse Bley, Werner, Kster, Gerhard, Bergmann, Joachim, Woldt, Erik
• Primary Examiner(s): Soderquist, Arlen
• Application Number:
  US13/511,866
• Publication Number:
  US 20120270324A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,846 Days
• Field of Search: 436/3, 436/39, 436/127, 436131-132
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/042 by using materials which expand, contract, disintegrate, or decompose in contact with a fluid G01M3/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/20 using special tracer materials, e.g. dye, fluorescent material, radioactive material

Abstract

The invention relates to the use of an indicator for testing the tightness of water conducting components in a housing which is either mixed into the water or released upon contacting water drops or generated from a generative material upon contact with water. According to the invention, the presence of the indicator in gaseous or vaporous form is detected by a sensor.

Claims

1. A method of testing the tightness of water conducting components in a housing, said method comprising the steps of:

introducing a generator substance, which upon contact with water produces a gaseous or vaporous indicator;

positioning the generator substance in the housing below the components under test; and

detecting the occurrence of the indicator using a sensor sensitive to the indicator wherein the generator substance used is a mixture of sodium and acid, which produces CO₂ as the gaseous or vaporous indicator upon contact with water.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the generator substance is provided on a substrate.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of containing the generator substance in a container that comprises at least one wall that becomes permeable to the generator substance upon contact with water.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor used is a gas sensor with an IR section, into which sensor the atmosphere in the interior of the housing is drawn.

5. The method of claim 1, including the additional step of applying said method in the testing of household appliances, such as washing machines or dish washing machines.