Gas detection device

• US 20050252273A1
• Filed: 05/23/2003
• Published: 11/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Imoto, Tsutomu
• Granted Patent: US 7,216,527 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/23.200
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/24 Suction devices G01N1/22 - G01N1/2294 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/247 Syringes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0009 General constructional details of gas analysers, e.g. portable test equipment G01N1/22 takes precedence

Abstract

A gas detector capable of accurately measuring particular components (odors or the like) contained in an ambient gas to be measured, being compact, and capable of being easily formed to be portable, or producing low noise and capable of being small-sized. Having zero gas cylinder (9) as a supplying unit of a zero gas and component parts disposed within its enclosure (2) and using syringe (3) as a gas intake/exhaust unit, it alternately introduces a test gas, i.e., an ambient gas taken in from outside enclosure (2) through piping (12a), and the zero gas supplied from zero gas cylinder (9) into sensor unit (7) and measures the test gas, while having operation of each unit controlled by data processor (11). Thus, accurate measurement of the test gas is achieved by relatively comparing results of measurement on the gases at each measurement. In addition, gas detector (1) can be moved to a spot where measurement is to be made to have the test gas there measured. Further, by use of a cylinder mechanism producing low noise, the detector can quantify gas intake/exhaust and can be made small in size.

Claims

1. In a gas detector alternately introducing a reference gas and a test gas into a sensor within an enclosure for detecting a particular component contained in the test gas, the gas detector characterized by that a source of supply of the reference gas is installed within the enclosure and the test gas is taken in from outside the enclosure.

2. The gas detector according to claim 1, wherein the enclosure is formed to be portable.

3. The gas detector according to claim 1, wherein the test gas is an ambient gas outside the enclosure.

4. The gas detector according to claim 1, wherein the source of supply of the reference gas is a container containing the reference gas.

5. The gas detector according to claim 1, wherein the source of supply of the reference gas is a purifying unit of the test gas and the test gas gone through the detection is purified by the purifying unit and then reused as the reference gas.

6. The gas detector according to claim 5, wherein, after the test gas gone through the detection has been purified by being passed through the purifying unit, the gas is passed through the purifying unit again to be turned into the reference gas.

7. The gas detector according to claim 5, wherein the gas detector has a container for temporarily storing the test gas passed through the purifying unit and the test gas is introduced from the container into the sensor again.

8. The gas detector according to claim 5, wherein the purifying unit is a deodorizing and/or dehydrating unit.

9. The gas detector according to claim 1, comprising:

an intake/exhaust mechanism for taking in or exhausting a gas by expansion or contraction of inner space thereof;

a passage of the reference gas or the test gas communicating with the intake/exhaust mechanism;

a source of supply of the reference gas for use in determination of a zero level of the test gas at the detection;

the sensor for use in measurement on the reference gas and the test gas; and

a controller for performing at least one of processing of output data from the sensor and controlling of operation of each unit, wherein

the test gas or the reference gas is supplied to the sensor by intake/exhaust motion of the intake/exhaust mechanism, and a particular component in the test gas is identified in accordance with strength of a measured signal.

10. The gas detector according to claim 9, wherein the reference gas or the test gas is introduced into the sensor by reciprocating motion of a piston of a cylinder mechanism formed of the piston and the cylinder in combination.

11. The gas detector according to claim 10, wherein, when a gas is taken in, a one-way valve for allowing the gas to flow only in one direction from the censor to the cylinder mechanism is used and, when the gas is exhausted, another one-way valve for allowing the gas to flow only in one direction from the cylinder mechanism to an exhaust port is used.

12. The gas detector according to claim 11, wherein the one-way valve for gas intake is connected between the sensor and one each of two chambers of the cylinder mechanism partitioned by the piston.

13. The gas detector according to claim 12, wherein one side of the two chambers of the cylinder mechanism is connected by a one-way valve each with the sensor and the exhaust port and the other side is connected by a one-way valve each with the sensor and the exhaust port, while each of the one-way valves connecting the sensor with the cylinder mechanism opens and closes to cause the gas to flow only from the sensor to the cylinder mechanism and each of the one-way valves connecting the cylinder mechanism with the exhaust ports opens and closes to cause the gas to flow only from the cylinder mechanism to the exhaust ports, such that gasses are ceaselessly taken into the sensor by a single cylinder mechanism.

14. The gas detector according to claim 13, further comprising:

an intake port for taking in the test gas from outside the enclosure to its interior;

a first valve disposed between the port and the sensor; and

a second valve disposed between the source of supply of the reference gas and the sensor, wherein,

when the piston moves in one direction, the first valve is opened and the test gas is taken into the sensor and, when the piston moves in opposite direction, the second valve is opened and the reference gas is taken into the sensor, so that the reference gas and the test gas are alternately and ceaselessly sent into the sensor by a single cylinder mechanism.

15. The gas detector according to claim 9, wherein the source of supply of the reference gas is a purifying unit of the test gas and the test gas gone through the detection is purified by the purifying unit and then reused as the reference gas.

16. The gas detector according to claim 15, wherein, after the test gas gone through the detection has been purified by being passed through the purifying unit, the gas is passed through the purifying unit again to be turned into the reference gas.

17. The gas detector according to claim 15, wherein, when the test gas is taken into the cylinder mechanism through the gas intake port, the gas is subjected to the detection in the sensor and then purified in the purifying unit and stored into the cylinder mechanism and, when the gas is exhausted from the cylinder mechanism, it is passed through the purifying unit again to be purified an turned into the reference gas, and this reference gas is introduced into the sensor.

18. The gas detector according to claim 1, wherein the gas detector is used for identification of an odor of the test gas.

19. In a gas detector alternately introducing a reference gas and a test gas into a sensor within an enclosure for detecting a particular component in the test gas, the gas detector wherein a source of supply of the reference gas is connected to the sensor, the test gas is taken in from outside the enclosure, and the reference gas or the test gas is introduced into the sensor by reciprocating motion of a piston of a cylinder mechanism formed of the piston and the cylinder in combination for taking in and exhausting the gas by expansion and contraction of its inner volume.

20. A gas detector according to claim 19, comprising:

a passage of the reference gas or the test gas communicating with the cylinder mechanism;

a source of supply of the reference gas for determining a zero level for the detection on the test gas;

the sensor for measuring the reference gas and the test gas; and

a controller for performing at least one of processing of output data from the sensor and controlling of operation of every unit, wherein

the test gas or the reference gas is supplied to the sensor by intake or exhaust motion of the cylinder mechanism and the particular component in the test gas is identified on the basis of strength of a measured signal.

21. The gas detector according to claim 19, wherein, when a gas is taken in, a one-way valve for allowing the gas to flow only in one direction from the censor to the cylinder mechanism is used and, when the gas is exhausted, another one-way valve for allowing the gas to flow only in one direction from the cylinder mechanism to an exhaust port is used.

22. The gas detector according to claim 21, wherein the one-way valve for gas intake is connected between the sensor and one each of two chambers of the cylinder mechanism partitioned by the piston.

23. The gas detector according to claim 22, wherein one side of the two chambers of the cylinder mechanism is connected by a one-way valve each with the sensor and the exhaust port and the other side is connected by a one-way valve each with the sensor and the exhaust port, while each of the one-way valves connecting the sensor with the cylinder mechanism opens and closes to cause the gas to flow only from the sensor to the cylinder mechanism and each of the one-way valves connecting the cylinder mechanism with the exhaust ports opens and closes to cause the gas to flow only from the cylinder mechanism to the exhaust ports, such that gasses are ceaselessly taken into the sensor by a single cylinder mechanism.

24. The gas detector according to claim 23, further comprising:

an intake port for taking in the test gas from outside the enclosure to its interior;

a first valve disposed between the port and the sensor; and

a second valve disposed between the source of supply of the reference gas and the sensor, wherein,

when the piston moves in one direction, the first valve is opened and the test gas is taken into the sensor and, when the piston moves in opposite direction, the second valve is opened and the reference gas is taken into the sensor, so that the reference gas and the test gas are alternately and ceaselessly sent into the sensor by a single cylinder mechanism.

25. The gas detector according to claim 19, wherein the source of supply of the reference gas is a purifying unit of the test gas and the test gas gone through the detection is purified by the purifying unit and then reused as the reference gas.

26. The gas detector according to claim 25, wherein, after the test gas gone through the detection has been purified by being passed through the purifying unit, the gas is passed through the purifying unit again to be turned into the reference gas.

27. The gas detector according to claim 25, wherein, when the test gas is taken into the cylinder mechanism through the gas intake port, the gas is subjected to the detection in the sensor and then purified in the purifying unit and stored into the cylinder mechanism and, when the gas is exhausted from the cylinder mechanism, it is passed through the purifying unit again to be purified and turned into the reference gas, and this reference gas is introduced into the sensor.

28. The gas detector according to claim 25, wherein the purifying unit is a deodorizing and/or dehydrating unit.

29. The gas detector according to claim 19, wherein the source of supply of the reference gas is installed within the enclosure and the enclosure is formed to be portable.

30. The gas detector according to claim 19, wherein the test gas is an ambient gas outside the enclosure.

31. The gas detector according to claim 19, wherein the source of supply of the reference gas is a container containing the reference gas.

32. The gas detector according to claim 19, wherein the gas detector is used for identification of an odor of the test gas.

33. A gas detector alternately introducing a reference gas and a test gas into a sensor for detecting a particular component contained in the test gas, characterized by that the sensor and the source of supply of the reference gas are integrated in one body.

34. The gas detector according to claim 33, wherein the sensor and the source of supply of the reference gas are included in a robotic unit.

35. The gas detector according to claim 34, wherein the robotic unit is a self-standing robotic unit capable of operation in an autonomous manner.

36. The gas detector according to claim 34, wherein the reference gas is supplied from the surroundings of the robotic unit.

37. The gas detector according to claim 33, wherein the sensor and the source of supply of the reference gas are included in one enclosure.

38. The gas detector according to claim 37, wherein the reference gas is supplied from outside the enclosure.