Multireflection cell, analyzer, exhaust gas analyzer, and light incident method

• US 9,971,133 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2016
• Issued: 05/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Horiba Limited
• Original Assignee: Horiba Limited
• Inventors: Akamatsu, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): FONT, FRANK G
• Application Number:
  US15/360,682
• Publication Number:
  US 20170168275A1
• Time in Patent Office: 538 Days
• Field of Search: 359857, 359858, 356244, 356437, 356300-303
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0422 using light concentrators, collectors or condensers
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 15/108 using optical methods
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/2252 in a vehicle exhaust
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/031 Multipass arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/3504 for analysing gases, e.g. multi-gas analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/004 Systems comprising a plurality of reflections between two or more surfaces, e.g. cells, resonators multipass arrangements for optical cuvettes G01N21/031; laser resonators H01S3/05
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/0636 off-axis or unobscured systems in which all of the mirrors share a common axis of rotational symmetry

Abstract

In order to provide a multireflection cell making it possible to decrease the volume of a cell main body into which measurement target gas is introduced as well as reducing the amount of light that is lost without being reflected in a multireflection mechanism, the multireflection cell includes the multireflection mechanism adapted to multiply reflect incident light and then emit the multiply reflected light outward. In addition the multireflection mechanism includes a field mirror, a first objective mirror that faces to the field mirror and is provided on a light incident side in the multireflection mechanism, and a second objective mirror that faces to the field mirror and is provided on a light emitting side in the multireflection mechanism. Further, the light incident into the multireflection mechanism is configured to be first reflected by the second objective mirror.

Claims

1. A multireflection cell comprising:

a multireflection mechanism including

a field mirror defining

a light incident port adapted to introduce incident light into the multireflection mechanism, wherein the multireflection mechanism is adapted to multiply the incident light reflected therein to generate multiplied reflected incident light, and

a light emitting port adapted to emit outward the multiplied reflected incident light, wherein an arrangement interval between adjacent ones of multiple reflection points formed on a reflecting surface of the field mirror is adapted to be larger in an outer edge part of the reflecting surface than a central part,

a first objective mirror facing the field mirror and provided on a same side of the multireflection mechanism as the light incident port, and

a second objective mirror facing the field mirror, provided on a same side of the multireflection mechanism as the light emitting port, and adapted to first reflect the incident light.

2. The multireflection cell according to claim 1, wherein

the first objective mirror and the second objective mirror are arranged symmetrically with respect to a symmetry plane including a light axis of the field mirror.

3. The multireflection cell according to claim 1, wherein

a curvature center of the first objective mirror is set on the same side of the multireflection mechanism as the light emitting port;

and

a curvature center of the second objective mirror is set on the same side of the multireflection mechanism as the light incident port.

4. The multireflection cell according to claim 1, wherein

an array of multiple reflection points formed on a reflecting surface of the first objective mirror and an array of multiple reflection points formed on a reflecting surface of the second objective mirror respectively form parabolas having respective vertices that face outward from the multireflection mechanism.

5. The multireflection cell according to claim 1, comprising

a cell main body adapted to contain the multireflection mechanism, wherein

on a side of the field mirror in the cell main body, an incident window allowing the light to be incident into the multireflection mechanism from outside and an emitting window allowing the light to be emitted outward from the multireflection mechanism are provided,

a face plate part of the incident window is orthogonal to a light axis of the incident light and faces a side of the second objective mirror, and

a face plate part of the emitting window is orthogonal to a light axis of the emitted light and faces a side of the first objective mirror.

6. The multireflection cell according to claim 1, comprising

a cell main body adapted to contain the multireflection mechanism, wherein

on a side of the field mirror in the cell main body, an incident window allowing the light to be incident into the multireflection mechanism from outside and an emitting window allowing the light to be emitted outward from the multireflection mechanism are provided, and

on surfaces of the incident window and the emitting window, an antireflection film is formed.

7. An analyzer comprising the multireflection cell according to claim 1.

8. An exhaust gas analyzer comprising:

the multireflection cell according to claim 1, wherein

exhaust gas is configured to exist between the field mirror, and the first objective mirror and the second objective mirror.

9. A light incident method making light incident into a multireflection mechanism that includes (i) a field mirror defining a light incident port adapted to introduce incident light into the multireflection mechanism, wherein the multireflection mechanism is adapted to multiply the incident light reflected therein to generate multiplied reflected incident light, and a light emitting port adapted to emit outward the multiplied reflected incident light, (ii) a first objective mirror facing the field mirror and provided on a same side of the multireflection mechanism as the light emitting port, and (iii) a second objective mirror facing the field mirror and provided on a same side of the multireflection mechanism as the light emitting port, the light incident method comprising:

making the light incident into the multireflection mechanism such that the incident light is first reflected by the second objective mirror; and

making an arrangement interval between adjacent ones of multiple reflection points formed on a reflecting surface of the field mirror larger in an outer edge part of the reflecting surface than a central part.