Removable ICP Torch Injector With Fixed-Gap Self-Alignment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing torch designs for analytical instruments, such as ICP-OES, face issues with contamination, complex assembly, and potential for misalignment, leading to rapid degradation and incorrect analysis results due to the accumulation of salts and manual alignment requirements.
Innovation Solution
A torch design featuring a single-piece removable injector with an integral alignment feature and a seal system that captures the injector's bump to prevent axial misalignment, ensuring a fixed gap and reducing the risk of contamination, with a simplified assembly process that eliminates the need for precise reassembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the injector is permanently fused to the torch tubes, then the structural integrity is improved, but the ease of cleaning and maintenance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The torch is divided into separable components: the injector can be removed from the torch body, and the quartz tubes can be separated from each other. This segmentation allows the injector to be cleaned independently without damaging the overall structural integrity when properly reassembled.
2Ease of repair
If the injector is made removable for easy cleaning, then the ease of repair is improved, but the risk of misalignment and improper reassembly increases
Solution Approach 1:
Alignment features such as bumps and grooves are pre-formed on the injector and corresponding torch components during manufacturing. These preliminary structural features ensure that when the injector is reassembled, it automatically returns to the correct alignment position without requiring manual adjustment or precision handling by the user.
3Ease of operation
If prior art torches use injectors inserted into a base with O-rings for alignment and sealing, then the ease of operation is improved, but the potential for material accumulation and contamination increases
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment feature (bump) and the sealing feature (O-ring groove) are combined into a single integrated structure on the injector. The O-ring sits in a groove on the injector itself rather than in a separate base, eliminating negative spaces where material could accumulate while maintaining both alignment and sealing functions.
4Manufacturing precision
If manual alignment of the injector is required during assembly, then the manufacturing precision can be maintained, but the difficulty of assembly and the risk of user error increase
Solution Approach 1:
The injector is designed with self-aligning features where a bump on the injector fits into a corresponding groove or slot on the torch body or base. This mechanical self-alignment mechanism eliminates the need for manual positioning or adjustment by the assembler, reducing assembly complexity while maintaining precise alignment through the built-in geometric constraints.
Data Source
AI summary
A torch for use in analytic instruments includes a tube subassembly with substantially cylindrical nested inner and outer tubes with coincident central axes, the inner tube having a terminus. The torch also includes a removable injector extending at least partially in the inner tube and having an alignment feature, an inlet, an outlet, and a central axis that is coincident with the central axes of the inner and outer tubes, a seal having a channel for accommodating a portion of the injector, and a base for supporting the tube subassembly, injector, and seal. The seal has a complementary feature to engage the alignment feature of the injector to prevent axial misalignment of the injector and maintain a fixed gap between the terminus of the inner tube and the outlet of the injector.