Conducting leak testing using a sealing device
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2024530444
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2021-11-29
- Filing Date
- 2022-10-31
- Publication Date
- 2025-02-21
- Estimated Expiration
- 2042-10-31
AI Technical Summary
Existing leak testing methods fail to accurately separate test objects with leaks from those without, leading to potential misclassification during sequential testing.
A leak test implementation device that automatically seals the test chamber based on the test result, requiring additional actions from the operator to remove test objects, thereby ensuring correct grouping based on leak status.
Reduces the risk of erroneously assigning leaky test objects to the non-leaky group by differentiating the removal process based on the test outcome, enhancing the accuracy of leak testing.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
[Technical field]
[0001] The present invention relates to performing a leak test on a test specimen. [Background technology]
[0002] It is known and common to test specimens, such as food packaging, for leaks by placing the specimen to be tested in a test chamber and evacuating the test chamber to a pressure lower than the pressure inside the specimen. Typically, the pressure inside the specimen is atmospheric. The test chamber is evacuated by a vacuum pump.
[0003] After evacuation of the test chamber, gas leaking from the test specimen into the test chamber can be detected by a gas detector or gas analyzer. If a predetermined amount of test gas is measured, it indicates that there is a leak in the test specimen that is causing the test gas to leak from within the test specimen into the test chamber and reach the gas detector. Alternatively or additionally, the pressure within the test chamber can be monitored, and if the pressure within the test chamber increases beyond a predetermined value or amount, it indicates that there is a leak in the test specimen that is causing gas to leak from within the test specimen into the test chamber and increase the pressure therein. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0004] Typically, multiple specimens are tested for leaks one after the other. An operator places the specimens in a test chamber, closes the test chamber, starts and monitors the leak test, and removes the specimens after the leak test is complete. There is a concern that specimens detected as leaking will be assigned to a group of specimens detected as not leaking and will not be separated from them.
[0005] It is an object of the present invention to enable improved leak testing. [Means for solving the problem]
[0006] A method according to the present invention is defined by the features of claim 1. A device for performing a leak test according to the present invention is defined by the features of claim 12.
[0007] In the present invention, the test chamber is sealed in response to the results of the leak test to prevent removal of the test specimen from the test chamber if the results of the leak test indicate a leak in the test specimen, and the test chamber is opened if the test specimen is leak-free. This prevents the operator removing the test specimen from the test chamber from treating a test specimen identified as having a leak as a test specimen without a leak, or from removing the test specimen from the test chamber and misassigning it to a group of test specimens that were tested for leaks. Since the test chamber is sealed in the case of a test specimen with a leak, the operator must first take additional action to remove the test specimen from the test chamber. In other words, if the test specimen has a leak, the procedure is different from if the test specimen does not have a leak, reducing the risk of confusion by the operator.
[0008] The test chamber containing the test object may be evacuated to a vacuum pressure lower than the pressure inside the test object before the leak test. For this purpose, the test chamber may be connected to a vacuum pump. If the test object has a leak, gas will leak from inside the test object through the leak into the vacuum chamber.
[0009] Alternatively, the analyte may be pressurized, at least in part with a particular test gas, to an overpressure. The analyte is placed in a test chamber in the form of an accumulation chamber, and the concentration of the test gas in the accumulation chamber is measured. The increase in the test gas concentration in the accumulation chamber over time is a measure of the amount of leakage of the analyte.
[0010] The test chamber may be automatically sealed depending on the result of the leak test. The result of the leak test is a measurement result by a leak detector, which may be a gas detector and / or a gas analyzer and / or a gas measurement device.
[0011] Opening and closing the test chamber preferably requires a key that a human operator can use to open the test chamber, which may be an electronic key, for example in the form of a password, token, etc., or a mechanical key.
[0012] The test chamber may be sealed off by a sealing device operated by a controller that receives information about the leak test from a leak detector, which may be a gas detector, a gas analyzer, e.g., a mass spectrometer or an infrared absorption analyzer, or a gas measurement device, for performing the leak test.
[0013] Alternatively or additionally, sealing of the test chamber may be performed by applying or maintaining a vacuum inside the test chamber, the sealing device in this exemplary embodiment being understood to be the control electronics for applying or maintaining the vacuum, for example by driving a vacuum pump or keeping the vacuum pump running.
[0014] The sealing of the test chamber may be performed by applying a mechanical force, which may be a force that resists the force applied to open the test chamber, which may be a force applied by a vacuum inside the test chamber, or a force applied by a mechanical closure element such as a lock or latch.
[0015] The measurement signal from the leak detector is sent as an electronic signal to a control device electronically connected to the sealing device, and if a leak is detected in the sample, the control device can send a control signal to the sealing device to trigger operation of the sealing device to seal the test chamber.
[0016] In the present case, a specimen in which no leak is detected is described as leak-free, and a specimen in which a leak is detected is described as leaking. For this purpose, the measurement signal of the device performing the leak test is typically compared with a reference value and / or a threshold value. This makes it possible to automatically evaluate whether the specimen should be classified into a group of specimens without leaks or into a group of specimens with leaks based on the measurement signal. A human operator performing the leak test typically removes a specimen that has been confirmed to be leak-free from the test chamber and assigns it to a group of specimens without leaks by moving it, for example, to a container provided for this purpose, a conveyor belt provided for this purpose, or another spatially limited area. The present invention is intended to reduce the risk that a human operator will erroneously assign a specimen identified as having a leak to a group of specimens without leaks. By sealing the test chamber, the operator's process is different from the process that would be performed if the specimen did not have a leak. By sealing the test chamber when the test specimen is removed, the operator has an additional opportunity to recognize that the test specimen has been confirmed to have a leak and should not be assigned to the group of test specimens without leaks.
[0017] An exemplary embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]
[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing an apparatus for carrying out a leak test according to the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0019] A specimen 12 to be tested for leaks is placed inside a test chamber 14. The test chamber 14 is a typical vacuum chamber and is shown closed in the drawings. A vacuum pump 18 is vacuum-connected to the test chamber 14 to evacuate the test chamber 14 to a pressure lower than the pressure inside the specimen 12. If the specimen 12 has a leak, the test gas leaks from inside the specimen 12 into the test chamber 14 at the outside of the specimen 12.
[0020] A leak detector 16 is also connected to the interior of the test chamber 14 in a gas-conductive vacuum manner to perform leak measurements. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the leak detector 16 is included in the gas line path connecting the test chamber 14 to the vacuum pump 18, although other configurations are contemplated. The leak detector 16 can be a general gas detector, a gas analyzer, or a pressure measuring device that monitors the pressure inside the test chamber 14. Valves necessary for leak testing are also present but are not shown in the drawings for simplicity.
[0021] When the leak detector 16 measures the leaked gas from inside the test chamber 12, or, in the case of a pressure measuring device, measures a pressure increase indicative of a leak in the test chamber 12, the leak detector 16 sends an electronic signal to a control device 22 electronically connected to the leak detector 16. The control device 22 is configured to automatically generate a control signal to drive the sealing device 20 to prevent the opening of the test chamber 14 if the measurement signal from the leak detector 16 indicates a leak in the test chamber 12. For this purpose, the control device 22 is electrically connected to the sealing device 20. The sealing device 20 can be a mechanical lock or a lock that locks the test chamber 14. Alternatively or additionally, the sealing device 20 can be a valve that connects the inside of the test chamber 14 with the outside air surrounding the test chamber 14 and that is opened to vent the test chamber 14 before the test chamber 14 is opened. To seal the test chamber 14, the valve is kept closed, preventing the test chamber 14 from being vented, i.e. creating a high vacuum pressure inside the test chamber that would prevent a human operator from opening the test chamber 14. The vacuum pressure thus creates a closing force to close the test chamber. Alternatively or additionally, the closing force may be applied as a mechanical force by a closing device.
[0022] It is also conceivable that the control device 22 drives or maintains the operation of the vacuum pump 18 or a further vacuum pump, thereby maintaining or increasing the vacuum pressure inside the test chamber 14. The sealing device 20 in this case can be understood as part of the vacuum pump or as a further vacuum pump.
[0023] If an operator wishes to remove the specimen 12 from the test chamber 14 after the leak test has revealed that the specimen 12 has a leak, the operator must deactivate the sealing device 20 using a key. The key can be, for example, a mechanical key for unlocking a mechanical closing device or for issuing a command to the control device 22 to deactivate the sealing device 20. The key can also be an electronic key in the form of a password that a user must enter into the operating terminal of the control device 22. In any case, an operator who wishes to remove the specimen 12 from the test chamber 14 must take additional actions to remove a specimen with a leak from the test chamber 14 compared to a specimen without a leak. This reduces the risk of confusing a specimen with a leak with a group or quantity of specimens that have been confirmed to be leak-free.
Claims
1. 1. A method for performing a leak test on a specimen (12), comprising the steps of: placing the subject (12) in a subject chamber (14); a step of inspecting the specimen (12) for leakage within the inspection chamber (14); if the leak test determines that there is no leak in the test specimen (12), opening the test chamber (14) and removing the test specimen (12); A method comprising: If the leak test determines that there is a leak in the specimen, an opening to the test chamber (14) is sealed to prevent removal of the specimen (12).
2. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the test chamber (14) is automatically sealed in response to the result of the leak test.
3. 3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein an electronic or mechanical key is required to unlock the lock.
4. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the test chamber is sealed by a sealing device (20) operated by a control device (22) that receives information regarding the leak test from a measurement device (16) that performs the leak test.
5. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein sealing the test chamber (14) is performed by applying or maintaining a vacuum inside the test chamber (14).
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the sealing of the test chamber (14) is performed by applying a mechanical force.
7. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the mechanical force is applied by a sealing device (20) operated by a control device (22) that receives information regarding the leak test from a measuring device (16) that performs the leak test.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the sealing device (20) is a mechanical closure device.
9. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the test chamber (14) containing the test specimen (12) is evacuated until a test chamber pressure becomes lower than the pressure inside the test specimen in order to check for the presence or absence of a leak in the test specimen and to detect gas entering the test chamber through the leak in the test specimen.
10. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the pressure inside the test specimen (12) is increased to a pressure higher than the pressure inside the test chamber in order to check for the presence or absence of a leak in the test specimen and to detect gas entering the test chamber through the leak in the test specimen according to the accumulation principle.
11. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of checking the specimen (12) for the presence or absence of a leak is performed by a measuring device (16) in the form of a pressure measuring device, a gas detector or a gas analyzer, the measurement signal of which is sent to the control device (22) which operates the sealing device (20).
12. An apparatus for performing a leak test for testing the presence or absence of a leak in a test object (12), comprising: a test chamber (14) for accommodating the test subject (12); a leak detector (16) connected to the test chamber (14); A leak test implementation device comprising: The sealing device (20) is configured to seal the test chamber (14) to prevent removal of the test specimen (12) when the measurement signal of the leak detector (16) corresponds to a test specimen (12) having a leak, and to allow the test chamber (14) to be opened when the measurement signal corresponds to a test specimen without a leak.
13. The leak test implementation device according to claim 12, further comprising: a vacuum pump (18) connected to the test chamber (14) for evacuating the test chamber; A leak test implementation device comprising: