Portable near-infrared spectrometer

Abstract

The invention discloses a portable near-infrared spectrometer which comprises a heat preservation box, a heat exchange mechanism and a near-infrared spectrometer body, the heat preservation box is composed of a box shell internally provided with a liquid pipe and a plurality of box doors capable of opening and closing the box shell, and the heat exchange mechanism can circularly convey hot water or cold water to the liquid pipe so that the temperature of a box cavity of the heat preservation box can be adjusted; the near-infrared spectrometer body can be contained in the box cavity, on the basis that the advantages of miniaturization and mobility of portable equipment are kept, the precise temperature control function is fused in a breakthrough mode, the near-infrared spectrometer can be conveniently carried to various scenes such as production workshops, logistics warehouses, fields and market supervision sites, it is ensured that stable and accurate detection results can be provided in different scenes, and the detection efficiency is improved. And a more comprehensive equipment support is provided for on-site detection.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the technical field of spectrometers, and particularly to the technical field of near-infrared spectrometers. Background Technology

[0002] Near-infrared spectroscopy, with its advantages of rapid, non-destructive, and efficient detection, has become one of the core technologies for quality control and safety monitoring in industries such as food, pharmaceuticals, and textiles. Near-infrared spectrometers, as key equipment for realizing this technology, can rapidly analyze key indicators such as the composition (e.g., moisture and protein in food, active ingredients in pharmaceuticals, and fiber composition in textiles), purity, and impurity content of samples. It is widely used in scenarios such as real-time monitoring of production processes, batch inspection of finished products, and traceability screening in the distribution process, effectively meeting the industry's core needs for detection efficiency and result reliability. It is an important equipment support for promoting food and drug safety management and upgrading textile quality.

[0003] With the increasing demand for "on-site testing" such as on-site traceability and verification of food and drugs, and real-time quality inspection of textiles in fields / workshops, near-infrared spectrometers are gradually developing towards miniaturization and portability. Traditional large-scale laboratory near-infrared spectrometers are limited by size and weight, and can only be used in fixed scenarios. Samples need to go through sampling, transportation, and pretreatment, resulting in long testing cycles and susceptibility to sample preservation conditions. Portable devices, such as a portable near-infrared spectrometer for grain and feed testing with publication number CN116297317A and a portable near-infrared spectrometer with publication number CN109406449A, have broken through this limitation. They can be used directly in production workshops, logistics warehouses, fields, and market supervision sites, significantly shortening the testing chain, improving the timeliness of emergency screening and dynamic monitoring, and further expanding the application boundaries of near-infrared spectroscopy technology.

[0004] However, currently available small near-infrared spectrometers have significant technical shortcomings in temperature control accuracy (which has become the core bottleneck restricting their detection reliability). Due to their compact size, existing small near-infrared spectrometers often highly integrate internal optical components (such as light sources, spectroscopic systems, and detectors) with electronic components, typically installing temperature sensors only in a few key functional modules. This makes it impossible to achieve comprehensive monitoring of the temperature distribution throughout the entire instrument's internal space (local temperature fluctuations, such as temperature changes in the optical path and temperature differences between the sample detection chamber and component areas, are often difficult for key sensors to capture). However, near-infrared spectroscopy detection is extremely sensitive to temperature changes (temperature fluctuations can lead to…). Changes in the refractive index and thermal expansion and contraction characteristics of optical components can cause spectral signal drift. At the same time, temperature changes can also affect the response sensitivity of the detector and the signal stability of electronic components, causing detection baseline shift. When the instrument is in an unstable temperature environment (such as high temperature in a summer workshop, low temperature outdoors in winter, or temperature difference near an air conditioning vent), unmonitored local temperature changes cannot be corrected in time by the compensation algorithm, ultimately leading to a decrease in the accuracy of the detection results, or even misjudgment of component content (such as food moisture detection deviation exceeding the standard allowable range, or inaccurate determination of the effective ingredient content of pharmaceuticals), which seriously limits the reliability of portable near-infrared spectrometers in complex temperature environments.

[0005] Currently, on-site rapid testing of food and drugs and instant quality verification of textiles have become increasingly essential needs in the industry. However, the temperature control deficiencies of existing portable near-infrared spectrometers directly lead to users being "unwilling or unable to use" them in on-site scenarios with high temperatures, low temperatures, and large temperature fluctuations. Therefore, developing a portable near-infrared spectrometer that can solve the problem of local temperature differences and ensure the accuracy of on-site testing has become an urgent task to meet the actual needs of the industry and break through technical bottlenecks. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This invention discloses a portable near-infrared spectrometer. While maintaining the advantages of portable devices in terms of miniaturization and portability, it innovatively incorporates a precise temperature control function, making it easy to carry to various scenarios such as production workshops, logistics warehouses, fields, and market supervision sites. This ensures that it can provide stable and accurate detection results in different scenarios, providing more comprehensive equipment support for on-site testing.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention proposes a portable near-infrared spectrometer, comprising an insulated box, a heat exchange mechanism, and a near-infrared spectrometer body. The insulated box is composed of a box shell with an internal liquid pipe and several doors that can be opened and closed. The heat exchange mechanism can regulate the temperature of the box cavity by circulating hot or cold water to the liquid pipe. The near-infrared spectrometer body can be stored inside the box cavity.

[0008] Preferably, the heat exchange mechanism has a housing with mutually isolated hot water chamber, cold water chamber and transfer chamber. The hot water chamber and cold water chamber are respectively equipped with heating devices and cooling devices for heating or cooling the water stored in the chamber. The hot water chamber and cold water chamber are respectively connected to liquid pipes through circulation components to circulate hot water and cold water. The transfer chamber is connected to liquid pipes, hot water chamber and cold water chamber through circulation components to temporarily collect hot water or cold water from liquid pipes and then return the hot water or cold water to the hot water chamber or cold water chamber. Temperature sensors are respectively provided in the hot water chamber, cold water chamber and chamber.

[0009] Preferably, the circulation assembly connects to the circulation pipeline between the housing and the machine housing through a circulation pipe group. The circulation pipe group has a hot water outlet pipe and a hot water inlet pipe disposed between the hot water chamber and the liquid pipe, a cold water outlet pipe and a cold water inlet pipe disposed between the cold water chamber and the liquid pipe, a return water inlet pipe disposed between the transfer chamber and the liquid pipe, and a main return water pipe, a hot water return water pipe and a cold water return water pipe connected together by a tee joint and respectively connected to the transfer chamber, the hot water chamber and the cold water chamber.

[0010] Preferably, a solenoid valve is installed on each of the hot water outlet pipe, hot water inlet pipe, cold water outlet pipe, cold water inlet pipe, return water inlet pipe, hot water return pipe, and cold water return pipe, and a liquid pump and a flow meter are installed on each of the hot water outlet pipe, cold water outlet pipe, and main return pipe.

[0011] Preferably, the circulation component is enclosed outside the housing by a cover and is electrically connected to the controller.

[0012] Preferably, the housing provides cleaning ports and allows for water injection and drainage to the hot water chamber, cold water chamber, and transfer chamber via a maintenance door and water injection / drainage interfaces, respectively.

[0013] Preferably, the housing is also supported and leveled by leveling feet.

[0014] Preferably, the heating device is an electric heating element, and the cooling device is an immersion chiller.

[0015] Preferably, the near-infrared spectrometer body and the sample to be tested are placed into the chamber through a lifting support and a positioning support, respectively.

[0016] Preferably, the lifting support includes a base, a connecting rod, a base block, a movable block, a lead screw, a handle, and a support plate. The support plate and the base are respectively disposed on the upper and lower sides of the horizontally placed lead screw. One end of the lead screw is rotatably connected to the base block, while the other end is equipped with a handle. The movable block is threadedly connected to the lead screw. The base block and the movable block are both hinged to the base and the support plate respectively via the connecting rod.

[0017] The beneficial effects of this invention are: 1) Precise temperature control, eliminating local temperature difference interference: This invention solves the core problem of insufficient temperature control precision in existing portable near-infrared spectrometers by integrating a "built-in liquid pipe in the insulated box + heat exchange mechanism for circulating temperature control". In this invention, the heat exchange mechanism can circulate hot or cold water to the liquid pipe to form a uniform temperature control environment throughout the box, thereby avoiding the problem of traditional equipment relying solely on key module temperature sensors and failing to capture local temperature differences between the optical path and the sample detection chamber. Temperature sensors are also equipped in the hot water chamber, cold water chamber, and box chamber to provide real-time feedback on water temperature and box temperature. Combined with the controller's precise control of the circulation components, the box temperature is stabilized within the appropriate range required for detection. This design effectively avoids problems such as changes in the refractive index of optical elements, thermal expansion and contraction, decreased detector response sensitivity, and signal drift of electronic components caused by temperature fluctuations, ensuring stable spectral signals and significantly improving the accuracy and reliability of detection results under complex temperature environments, avoiding risks such as misjudgment of component content. 2) Energy-saving and efficient, shortening temperature regulation response time: The cooperation between the hot water chamber, cold water chamber, and transfer chamber in the heat exchange mechanism of this invention realizes energy saving and speed in the temperature regulation process; when switching temperature modes (such as switching from heating mode to cooling mode), the transfer chamber can first temporarily collect water at the original temperature in the liquid pipe (such as hot water), and then introduce water at the target temperature (such as cold water) for circulation, and then return the temporarily stored water to the original chamber (such as hot water chamber); this design avoids the energy waste caused by direct mixing of hot and cold water, and recovers the heat or cold energy of the original water, reducing the energy consumption of the heating and cooling devices; at the same time, the coordinated work of the solenoid valve, liquid pump and flow meter in the circulation pipe group can also accurately control the water flow speed and flow rate, ensuring a rapid response in the temperature regulation process, greatly shortening the time from equipment start-up to reaching the set temperature, and improving the efficiency of on-site testing; 3) Convenient operation and adaptability to diverse testing needs: This invention achieves flexible adaptation between the spectrometer body and the sample to be tested through the dedicated design of the lifting support and the positioning support, meeting the needs of diverse testing scenarios. In this invention, the lifting support adopts a mechanical structure of "lead screw + connecting rod + support plate". The user can drive the lead screw to rotate by turning the handle, thereby driving the movable block to move along the lead screw. The height of the support plate can be adjusted by using the connecting rod, so that the near-infrared spectrometer body can flexibly adjust its position according to the size of the sample to be tested and the detection distance requirements. The positioning support is specifically used to fix the sample to be tested, ensuring the stability of the sample position during the detection process and avoiding the impact of sample displacement on detection accuracy. This design does not require complex electric control or auxiliary tools. Height adjustment and sample fixation can be completed manually, adapting to different types of samples such as food, medicine and textiles, reducing the operating threshold.

[0018] The features and advantages of the present invention will be described in detail through embodiments and in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a front view of the portable near-infrared spectrometer of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a rear view of the portable near-infrared spectrometer of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a configuration diagram of the circulation assembly of the portable near-infrared spectrometer of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection of the infrared spectrometer body, positioning support, and lifting support of the portable near-infrared spectrometer of the present invention.

[0020] In the diagram: 1-Insulation box, 11-Box shell, 12-Box door, 2-Heat exchange mechanism, 21-Casing, 211-Hot water chamber, 212-Cold water chamber, 213-Transfer chamber, 22-Circulation pipe assembly, 221-Hot water outlet pipe, 222-Hot water inlet pipe, 223-Cold water outlet pipe, 224-Cold water inlet pipe, 225-Return water inlet pipe, 226-Main return water pipe, 227-Hot water return water pipe, 228-Cold water return water pipe, 23-Solenoid valve, 24-Pump, 25-Flow meter, 26-Enclosure, 27-Controller, 28-Maintenance door, 29-Leveling support, 3-Infrared spectrometer body, 4-Positioning support, 5-Lifting support, 51-Base, 52-Connecting rod, 53-Base block, 54-Moving block, 55-Screw rod, 56-Handle, 57-Support plate. Detailed Implementation

[0021] See Figures 1 to 4 The present invention provides a portable near-infrared spectrometer, comprising an insulated box 1, a heat exchange mechanism 2, and a near-infrared spectrometer body 3. The insulated box 1 is composed of a box shell 11 with an internal liquid pipe and several boxes 12 that can be opened and closed. The heat exchange mechanism 2 can regulate the temperature of the box cavity by circulating hot or cold water to the liquid pipe. The near-infrared spectrometer body 3 can be stored in the box cavity.

[0022] The heat exchange mechanism 2 has a housing 21 with a hot water chamber 211, a cold water chamber 212 and a transfer chamber 213 that are isolated from each other. The hot water chamber 211 and the cold water chamber 212 are respectively equipped with a heating device and a cooling device that can heat or cool the water stored in the chamber. The hot water chamber 211 and the cold water chamber 212 are respectively connected to a liquid pipe through a circulation assembly to circulate hot water and cold water. The transfer chamber 213 is connected to the liquid pipe, the hot water chamber 211 and the cold water chamber 212 through a circulation assembly to temporarily collect hot water or cold water from the liquid pipe and then return the hot water or cold water to the hot water chamber 211 or the cold water chamber 212. Temperature sensors are respectively provided in the hot water chamber 211, the cold water chamber 212 and the housing.

[0023] The circulation assembly connects to the circulation pipeline between the housing 11 and the machine housing 21 through the circulation pipe group 22. The circulation pipe group 22 has a hot water outlet pipe 221 and a hot water inlet pipe 222 located between the hot water chamber 211 and the liquid pipe, a cold water outlet pipe 223 and a cold water inlet pipe 224 located between the cold water chamber 212 and the liquid pipe, a return water inlet pipe 225 located between the transfer chamber 213 and the liquid pipe, and a main return water pipe 226, a hot water return water pipe 227 and a cold water return water pipe 228 connected together by a T-joint and respectively connected to the transfer chamber 213, the hot water chamber 211 and the cold water chamber 212.

[0024] Solenoid valves 23 are installed on the hot water outlet pipe 221, hot water inlet pipe 222, cold water outlet pipe 223, cold water inlet pipe 224, return water inlet pipe 225, hot water return pipe 227, and cold water return pipe 228 respectively. Liquid pumps 24 and flow meters 25 are installed on the hot water outlet pipe 221, cold water outlet pipe 223, and main return pipe 226 respectively.

[0025] The circulation component is covered by a cover 26 outside the housing 21 and is electrically connected to the controller 27.

[0026] The housing 21 provides cleaning ports and allows for water injection and drainage to the hot water chamber 211, cold water chamber 212, and transfer chamber 213 via maintenance door 28 and water injection / drainage interfaces, respectively.

[0027] The housing 21 is also supported and leveled by leveling feet 29. Specifically, the leveling feet have a screw barrel fixed to the bottom surface of the housing 21, a screw rod that can be screwed into the screw barrel, and a foot pad fixed to the bottom of the screw rod. In use, the foot pad can be raised or lowered and the housing 21 can be leveled by adjusting the depth of the screw rod screwed into the screw barrel.

[0028] The heating device is an electric heating element, and the cooling device is an immersion chiller.

[0029] The near-infrared spectrometer body 3 and the sample to be tested are respectively placed into the chamber through the lifting support 5 and the positioning support 4.

[0030] The lifting support 5 includes a base 51, a connecting rod 52, a base block 53, a movable block 54, a lead screw 55, a handle 56, and a support plate 57. The support plate 57 and the base 51 are respectively disposed on the upper and lower sides of the horizontally placed lead screw 55. One end of the lead screw 55 is rotatably connected to the base block 53, and the other end is equipped with a handle 56. The movable block 54 is threadedly connected to the lead screw 55. The base block 53 and the movable block 54 are both hinged to the base 51 and the support plate 57 respectively through the connecting rod 52.

[0031] The working process of this invention: Before the test begins, the chamber temperature is adjusted to the required temperature using the heat exchange mechanism 2. Then, the chamber door 12 is opened and the sample to be tested is placed on the positioning support 4. The handle 56 is then turned to adjust the infrared spectrometer body 3, which is located above the support plate 57, to the required height via the lifting support 5. Finally, the chamber door 12 is closed again and the measurement begins.

[0032] Taking raising the chamber temperature from 10°C to 20°C as an example, for the circulation component, only the solenoid valve 23, pump 24 and flow meter 25 located on the hot water outlet pipe 221 and hot water inlet pipe 222 are activated, so that the hot water circulates between the hot water chamber 211 and the liquid pipe. During this period, the liquid pipe can dissipate heat through the hot water to raise the chamber temperature, and the electric heating tube can supplement the heat of the hot water in the hot water chamber 211. The various temperature sensors arranged in the chamber and the hot water chamber 211 can detect the chamber temperature and water temperature in real time.

[0033] Subsequently, if a rapid decrease in chamber temperature is required, the circulation components can be activated only by starting the solenoid valve 23, pump 24, and flow meter 25 located on the hot water outlet pipe 221 and the return water inlet pipe 225, so that hot water flows into the transfer chamber 213 for temporary storage. Then, only the solenoid valve 23, pump 24, and flow meter 25 located on the cold water outlet pipe 223 and the cold water inlet pipe 224 can be activated, so that cold water circulates between the cold water chamber 212 and the liquid pipe, thereby using the cold water to absorb heat from the chamber shell 11. During this period, the solenoid valve 23, pump 24, and flow meter 25 located on the main return water pipe 226 and the hot water return pipe 227 can also be opened so that the transfer chamber 213 can return the temporarily stored hot water to the hot water chamber 211, effectively avoiding the mixing of hot and cold water and wasting heat, while increasing the cooling speed of the chamber.

[0034] The above embodiments are illustrative of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any simple modifications to the present invention are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A portable near-infrared spectrometer, characterized in that: The device includes an insulated box (1), a heat exchange mechanism (2), and a near-infrared spectrometer body (3). The insulated box (1) is composed of a box shell (11) with a built-in liquid pipe and several boxes (12) with openable and closable boxes (11). The heat exchange mechanism (2) can regulate the temperature of the insulated box (1) by circulating hot or cold water to the liquid pipe. The near-infrared spectrometer body (3) can be stored in the box cavity.

2. The portable near-infrared spectrometer as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The heat exchange mechanism (2) has a housing (21) with a hot water chamber (211), a cold water chamber (212) and a transfer chamber (213) that are isolated from each other. The hot water chamber (211) and the cold water chamber (212) are respectively equipped with a heating device and a cooling device that can heat or cool the water stored in the chamber. The hot water chamber (211) and the cold water chamber (212) are respectively connected to the liquid pipe through the circulation component to circulate hot water and cold water. The transfer chamber (213) is connected to the liquid pipe, the hot water chamber (211) and the cold water chamber (212) through the circulation component to temporarily collect hot water or cold water from the liquid pipe and then return the hot water or cold water to the hot water chamber (211) or the cold water chamber (212). The hot water chamber (211), the cold water chamber (212) and the chamber are respectively equipped with temperature sensors.

3. The portable near-infrared spectrometer as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The circulation assembly connects to the circulation pipeline between the housing (11) and the machine housing (21) through the circulation pipe group (22). The circulation pipe group (22) has a hot water outlet pipe (221) and a hot water inlet pipe (222) between the hot water chamber (211) and the liquid pipe, a cold water outlet pipe (223) and a cold water inlet pipe (224) between the cold water chamber (212) and the liquid pipe, a return water inlet pipe (225) between the transfer chamber (213) and the liquid pipe, and a main return water pipe (226), a hot water return water pipe (227), and a cold water return water pipe (228) connected together by a three-way connector and respectively connected to the transfer chamber (213), the hot water chamber (211), and the cold water chamber (212).

4. The portable near-infrared spectrometer as described in claim 3, characterized in that: Solenoid valves (23) are installed on the hot water outlet pipe (221), hot water inlet pipe (222), cold water outlet pipe (223), cold water inlet pipe (224), return water inlet pipe (225), hot water return pipe (227) and cold water return pipe (228), respectively. Liquid pumps (24) and flow meters (25) are installed on the hot water outlet pipe (221), cold water outlet pipe (223) and main return pipe (226), respectively.

5. The portable near-infrared spectrometer as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The circulation component is covered by a cover (26) outside the housing (21) and is electrically connected to the controller (27).

6. The portable near-infrared spectrometer as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The casing (21) opens cleaning ports and allows for water injection and drainage to the hot water chamber (211), cold water chamber (212), and transfer chamber (213) through the maintenance door (28) and water injection / drainage interface, respectively.

7. The portable near-infrared spectrometer as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The housing (21) is also leveled by leveling feet (29).

8. The portable near-infrared spectrometer as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The heating device is an electric heating element, and the cooling device is an immersion chiller.

9. The portable near-infrared spectrometer as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The near-infrared spectrometer body (3) and the sample to be tested are respectively placed into the chamber through the lifting support (5) and the positioning support (4).

10. The portable near-infrared spectrometer as described in claim 9, characterized in that: The lifting support (5) includes a base (51), a connecting rod (52), a base block (53), a movable block (54), a lead screw (55), a handle (56), and a support plate (57). The support plate (57) and the base (51) are respectively located on the upper and lower sides of the horizontally placed lead screw (55). One end of the lead screw (55) is rotatably connected to the base block (53), and the other end is equipped with a handle (56). The movable block (54) is threaded to the outside of the lead screw (55). The base block (53) and the movable block (54) are both hinged to the base (51) and the support plate (57) respectively through the connecting rod (52).

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