Gas sensor calibration device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a gas sensor calibration device, comprising a test container and a standard gas sensor. A fixed shaft is disposed within the test container. The calibration device further comprises at least four mounting arms extending radially along the fixed shaft. Each mounting arm is connected to the fixed shaft via an independent rotating connection structure. Each mounting arm is provided with a sliding block mounted along its length for guiding movement. Each sliding block is provided with a conductive socket for contacting and inserting the power pin of a corresponding gas sensor. The axis of the conductive socket is arranged parallel to the axis of the fixed shaft. An adapter plug is fixed to the container wall of the test container and is electrically connected to each conductive socket via a conductive structure. The present invention solves the technical problem in the prior art that gas sensor calibration devices cannot universally calibrate various gas sensors due to the different positions and spacings of the power pins of each gas sensor.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of sensor verification and calibration, and in particular to a gas sensor calibration device. Background Art

[0002] Gas sensors are mainly used to detect the gas concentration of specified gases in their environment. They are an important gas detection device. For example, methane gas sensors are widely used in coal mining, chemical industry and other fields, and are of great significance to safe production.

[0003] In order to ensure the detection accuracy of gas sensors, they need to be calibrated regularly. The traditional calibration method is to place multiple gas sensors in a larger container, and then introduce a standard concentration of detection gas into the container. The gas sensors are calibrated based on the gas sensor readings and the standard concentration of the detection gas.

[0004] This traditional gas sensor calibration method has the following problems: Gas sensors are generally cylindrical in structure, and placing multiple gas sensors in a larger container prevents the container's internal volume from being effectively utilized, resulting in a relatively large internal volume. This not only hinders rapid switching of ambient gases, affects calibration efficiency, but also wastes the detection gas. Furthermore, there are many types of gas sensors, such as semiconductor and electrochemical, and the position and spacing of the power pins of different types of gas sensors vary. Even for the same type of gas sensor, the position and spacing of the power pins of different manufacturers are not standardized. As a result, in the existing technology, metrology and calibration institutions need to equip themselves with a variety of gas sensor calibration devices to meet various calibration requirements, which imposes significant calibration costs on metrology and calibration institutions. Most gas sensors have four power pins: ground, power, and RS485A and RS485B (i.e., resistance pins). Summary of the Invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a gas sensor calibration device to solve the technical problem in the prior art that the gas sensor calibration device cannot achieve universal calibration for various gas sensors due to the different positions and spacings of the power connection pins of each gas sensor.

[0006] To solve the above technical problems, the technical solution of a gas sensor calibration device in the present invention is as follows:

[0007] A gas sensor calibration device includes a test container provided with an air inlet and an exhaust port, and also includes a standard gas sensor for detecting the concentration of test gas in the test container. A fixed shaft is provided in the test container. The calibration device also includes at least four mounting arms with a length extending radially along the fixed shaft. Each mounting arm is connected to the fixed shaft through its own independent rotating connection structure. The rotation axis of each rotating connection structure is coaxially arranged with the axis of the fixed shaft. Each mounting arm is equipped with a sliding block for guiding movement along its length direction. Each sliding block is provided with a conductive socket for contacting and inserting the power pin of the corresponding gas sensor. The axis of the conductive socket is arranged side by side with the axis of the fixed shaft. An adapter plug is fixed to the container wall of the test container, and the adapter plug is electrically connected to each conductive socket through a conductive structure.

[0008] Furthermore, the rotating connection structure includes a rotating sleeve connected to a fixed shaft, the rotating sleeves of each rotating connection structure are arranged in sequence along the up and down directions, the heights of each mounting arm are consistent, and each rotating sleeve is connected to the corresponding mounting arm through its corresponding vertical connecting arm.

[0009] Furthermore, the sliding block is made of insulating material, the conductive socket includes a vertical hole opened on the corresponding sliding block, and the conductive socket also includes a crown spring socket arranged in the vertical hole, and the inner wall of the crown spring socket is used to contact the corresponding power pin for conduction.

[0010] Furthermore, the conductive structure includes a soft wire connected between the adapter plug and the corresponding conductive socket.

[0011] Furthermore, the test container includes a plurality of cup-shaped container units connected in sequence along the up and down directions, each container unit includes a container bottom wall and a container side wall fixed around the container bottom wall, the container side wall is a cylindrical structure, and a container cover is fixed on the top of the uppermost container unit. The two adjacent container units in the up and down directions are defined as an upper container unit and a lower container unit respectively, and a vent hole connecting the upper container unit and the lower container unit is provided on the container bottom wall of the upper container unit, and a fixed shaft is fixed on the container bottom wall of each container unit.

[0012] Furthermore, the container bottom wall of the upper container unit is fixed to the upper end of the container side wall of the lower container unit by bolts.

[0013] Furthermore, the air inlet is arranged on the container side wall of the container unit at the middle position, and the air outlet is respectively arranged on the container side walls of the container unit at the top and the bottom position.

[0014] Furthermore, the standard gas sensors are respectively arranged on the container side walls of the container units at the top and bottom positions.

[0015] Furthermore, the distance between the container side wall of the container unit and the periphery of the gas sensor is 1 to 1.5 cm.

[0016] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: in the present invention, when calibrating different gas sensors, the positions and spacings of the power pins of different gas sensors are different. In the present invention, by rotating the mounting arm and adjusting the position of the sliding block on the corresponding mounting arm, the sliding block can be adjusted to any position in the horizontal plane of the mounting arm rotation area, thereby adjusting the position of the corresponding sliding block according to the position of the power pins of the gas sensor. After the adjustment is completed, the power pins of the gas sensor are vertically plugged into the sockets of the corresponding mounting block to supply power to the gas sensor. Thus, the gas sensor can be calibrated by the readings of the standard gas sensor and the gas sensor. The calibration device of the present invention can handle the calibration of gas sensors of various specifications and models, has strong versatility, greatly reduces the equipment purchase amount of the measurement and calibration unit, and reduces the calibration cost of the measurement and calibration unit. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will become readily understood by reading the detailed description below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, several embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in an illustrative and non-limiting manner, and the same or corresponding reference numerals represent the same or corresponding parts, wherein:

[0018] Figure 1 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of a gas sensor calibration device of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of the bottom container unit;

[0020] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A top view of the mounting arms and the fixed shaft;

[0021] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the gas sensor after being connected to the mounting block;

[0022] Explanation of the accompanying drawings: 1. Top container unit; 2. Container unit; 3. Bottom container unit; 4. Container cover; 5. Exhaust port; 6. Standard gas sensor; 7. Bolt; 8. Container side wall; 9. Container bottom wall; 10. Fixed shaft; 11. Sliding block; 12. Mounting arm; 13. Flexible wire; 14. Air inlet; 15. Vent; 16. Rotating sleeve; 17. Vertical connecting arm; 18. Conductive socket; 19. Gas sensor; 20. Power pin; 21. Crown spring socket; 22. Adapter plug. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] To facilitate understanding of the present invention, the present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. Preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown in the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described in this specification. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and comprehensive understanding of the disclosure of the present invention.

[0024] It should be noted that, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this specification have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art of the present invention. The terms used in the specification of the present invention are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0025] An embodiment of a gas sensor calibration device in the present invention:

[0026] The test container includes a test container provided with an air inlet 14 and an air outlet 5, and also includes a standard gas sensor 6 for detecting the concentration of the test gas in the test container.

[0027] In this embodiment, the test container comprises five cup-shaped container units 2 connected in sequence along the vertical direction. Each container unit comprises a container bottom wall 9 and container side walls 8 secured to the container bottom wall. The container side walls 8 are cylindrical in structure. The topmost container unit is referred to as the top container unit 1, and the bottommost container unit is referred to as the bottom container unit 3. A container cover 4 is bolted to the top of the top container unit. Two adjacent container units in the vertical direction are defined as the upper container unit and the lower container unit, respectively. The container bottom wall of the upper container unit is provided with a vent 15 connecting the inner cavity of the upper container unit with the inner cavity of the lower container unit.

[0028] The container bottom wall of the upper container unit is fixed to the upper end of the container side wall of the lower container unit by bolts 7, and a sealing gasket is provided between the container bottom wall of the upper container unit and the container side wall of the lower container unit.

[0029] The air inlet 14 is arranged on the container side wall of the container unit at the middle position, and the air outlet 5 is respectively arranged on the container side walls of the container units at the top and bottom positions, wherein the air outlet of the top container unit is located at the upper end of the corresponding container side wall, and the air outlet of the bottom container unit is located at the lower end of the corresponding container side wall.

[0030] The standard gas sensors 6 are respectively arranged on the container side walls of the top container unit 1 and the bottom container unit 3 .

[0031] Each container unit is equipped with a sensor mounting structure. The sensor mounting structure includes a fixed shaft 10, whose axis extends vertically and is fixed to the bottom wall of the corresponding container. The sensor mounting structure also includes four mounting arms 12, each extending radially along the fixed shaft. Each mounting arm 12 is connected to the fixed shaft via an independent rotating connection structure. The rotation axis of each rotating connection structure is coaxial with the axis of the fixed shaft. Each mounting arm is equipped with a sliding block 11 along its length for guiding movement. Each sliding block 11 is provided with a conductive socket for contact insertion of the power pin of the corresponding gas sensor. The axis of the conductive socket is arranged in parallel with the axis of the fixed shaft. An adapter plug 22 is fixed to the container arm of each test container. The adapter plug is electrically connected to the conductive socket of the sensor mounting structure via a conductive structure. The adapter plug is a socket. When in use, an external plug is plugged into the socket to supply power to the gas sensor 19.

[0032] In this embodiment, the rotary connection structure includes a rotary sleeve 16 rotatably connected to a fixed shaft 10. The rotary sleeves 16 of the rotary connection structures of the same sensor mounting structure are arranged in a vertically spaced sequence. The mounting arms 12 are of the same height, and each rotary sleeve 16 is connected to the corresponding mounting arm via a corresponding vertical connecting arm 17. The sliding block 11 is made of an insulating material. The conductive receptacle includes a vertical hole formed as a blind hole in the corresponding sliding block. The conductive receptacle also includes a crown spring receptacle 21 disposed within the vertical hole. Crown spring receptacle 21 is made of copper. Crown spring receptacle 21 is conventional and includes a ring of radially expandable and contractible springs. When the corresponding power pin is inserted into the receptacle, the receptacle is squeezed by the power pin, causing the receptacle to deform radially outward. A certain contact force is maintained between the receptacle and the power pin, thereby ensuring reliable transmission of electrical signals.

[0033] The conductive structure includes a soft wire 13 connected between the adapter plug and the corresponding conductive socket. One end of the soft wire 13 is fixed to the adapter plug 22, and the other end of the soft wire 13 is in contact with the crown spring socket of the corresponding conductive socket.

[0034] The distance between the container sidewall 8 of the container unit and the periphery of the gas sensor 19 is 1.2 cm. In other embodiments of the present invention, the distance between the container sidewall 8 of the container unit and the periphery of the gas sensor can also be 1 cm, 1.5 cm, or other values between 1 and 1.5 cm. This distance ensures that the operator's finger can be inserted, facilitating the removal and placement of the gas sensor, and also minimizes the internal volume of the container unit, ensuring that the test gas can quickly replace the gas in the container unit.

[0035] When calibrating the gas sensor, adjust the position of the corresponding slider according to the position and spacing of the four power pins of the gas sensor. The position adjustment of the slider can be achieved by rotating the mounting arm and adjusting the position of the slider on the mounting arm. No positioning structure is required between the slider and the mounting arm. When the position of each slider is adjusted into place, insert the four power pins of the gas sensor from top to bottom into the corresponding conductive sockets. The four power pins of the gas sensor are the ground pin, the power pin, and the RS485A and RS485B pins (i.e., the resistor pins). After the four power pins are inserted into the corresponding conductive sockets, the position of each slider is fixed. Figure 4 shown.

[0036] The container units are connected together in sequence by bolts, and the power supply plug is plugged into the adapter plug of each container unit to supply power to the gas sensor in each container unit. The test gas is introduced into the test container through the air inlet, and the test gas goes upward one way and downward one way. The gas replacement in each container unit can be completed quickly, and the gas sensor is calibrated by comparing the reading of the standard gas sensor with the reading of each gas sensor. Two standard gas sensors are used in the present invention. On the one hand, the gas replacement status of the top container unit and the bottom container unit can be judged. On the other hand, the average value of the two standard gas sensors can be used as the standard concentration of the test gas.

[0037] In other embodiments of the present invention, the number of container units can be increased or decreased as needed, for example, the number of container units can be three, six or other numbers; the number of mounting arms can also be increased or decreased as needed, for example, five, six or other numbers.

[0038] In the foregoing description of this specification, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, terms such as "fixed," "mounted," "connected," or "connected" should be understood broadly. For example, the term "connected" can refer to a fixed connection, a removable connection, or an integral connection; a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediary; or the internal connection between two components or the interaction between two components. Therefore, unless otherwise expressly defined in this specification, those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0039] According to the above description of this specification, those skilled in the art may also understand that the terms used below, such as "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "length", "width", "thickness", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "clockwise" or "counterclockwise", etc., which indicate orientation or positional relationships, are based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the drawings of this specification, and are only for the purpose of facilitating the explanation of the scheme of the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than explicitly or implicitly indicating that the device or element involved must have the specific orientation, be constructed and operate in a specific orientation. Therefore, the above-mentioned orientation or positional relationship terms cannot be understood or interpreted as limitations on the scheme of the present invention.

[0040] In addition, the terms "first" or "second" used in this specification to refer to numbers or ordinal numbers are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as explicitly or implicitly indicating relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature specified as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one such feature. In the description of this specification, "plurality" means at least two, such as two, three or more, etc., unless otherwise clearly specified.

[0041] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. However, these modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the various embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A gas sensor calibration device comprising a test container provided with an air inlet and an exhaust port, and a standard gas sensor for detecting the concentration of a test gas in the test container, characterized in that: A fixed shaft is provided in the test container, and the calibration device further comprises at least four mounting arms extending radially along the fixed shaft, each mounting arm being connected to the fixed shaft via its own independent rotating connection structure, and the rotation axis of each rotating connection structure is coaxially arranged with the axis of the fixed shaft, and each mounting arm is provided with a sliding block guided and movable along its length direction, and each sliding block is provided with a conductive socket for contacting and inserting the power pin of the corresponding gas sensor, and the axis of the conductive socket is arranged in parallel with the axis of the fixed shaft, and an adapter plug is fixed to the container wall of the test container, and the adapter plug is connected to the fixed shaft via a conductive plug. The electrical structure is electrically connected to each conductive socket. The test container includes a plurality of cup-shaped container units connected in sequence along the up and down directions. Each container unit includes a container bottom wall and a container side wall fixed around the container bottom wall. The container side wall is a cylindrical structure. A container cover is fixed on the top of the uppermost container unit. The two adjacent container units in the up and down directions are defined as an upper container unit and a lower container unit respectively. A vent hole connecting the upper container unit and the lower container unit is provided on the container bottom wall of the upper container unit. A fixed shaft is fixed on the container bottom wall of each container unit.

2. The gas sensor calibration device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotating connection structure includes a rotating sleeve connected to a fixed shaft. The rotating sleeves of each rotating connection structure are arranged in sequence along the up and down directions. The heights of each mounting arm are consistent. Each rotating sleeve is connected to the corresponding mounting arm through its corresponding vertical connecting arm.

3. The gas sensor calibration device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sliding block is made of insulating material. The conductive socket includes a vertical hole opened on the corresponding sliding block. The conductive socket also includes a crown spring socket set in the vertical hole. The inner wall of the crown spring socket is used to contact the corresponding power pin for conduction.

4. The gas sensor calibration device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The conductive structure includes a soft wire connected between the adapter plug and the corresponding conductive socket.

5. The gas sensor calibration device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The container bottom wall of the upper container unit is fixed to the upper end of the container side wall of the lower container unit by bolts.

6. The gas sensor calibration device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air inlet is arranged on the container side wall of the container unit at the middle position, and the air outlet is respectively arranged on the container side walls of the top container unit and the bottom container unit.

7. The gas sensor calibration device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The standard gas sensors are respectively arranged on the container side walls of the top container unit and the bottom container unit.

8. The gas sensor calibration device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The distance between the container side wall of the container unit and the periphery of the gas sensor is 1 to 1.5 cm.

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