Refillable Test Leak Device with Membrane-Controlled Leak Rate
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing test leak devices are either not refillable or require separate filling openings, complicating the refilling process and potentially introducing inaccuracies due to additional openings.
Innovation Solution
A refillable test leak device design featuring a through-opening with a detachable carrier element and membrane, allowing for easy refilling by filling through the same opening used for fluid escape, ensuring a fluid-tight connection and precise leak rate measurement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a separate filling opening is provided for refilling the test fluid, then the refilling process becomes easier and more accessible, but the device complexity increases and potential sources of leakage or inaccuracy increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the filling function and the leak escape function into a single through-opening. The membrane is positioned within this opening to allow test fluid to escape at a controlled leak rate while also serving as the filling point. This eliminates the need for separate filling openings, reducing device complexity while maintaining ease of operation through a unified access point.
2Reliability
If the membrane is directly exposed to liquid test fluid, then the leakage rate may become unstable due to wetting effects, but completely preventing liquid contact complicates the design
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a tapered base geometry that directs liquid test fluid away from the membrane surface. The tapering shape ensures that liquid flows along the base and exits through the side opening without pooling or directly wetting the membrane. This localized geometric modification provides stable leakage rates without requiring complex protective structures.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables simplified and reliable refilling without separate openings, maintaining accuracy by controlling the leak rate independently of the housing, and facilitating easy calibration of leak detection devices.
Implementation Method 1
A membrane (25) which is permeable to the test fluid or to components of the test fluid is provided to be attached to the through-opening in such a way that test fluid or components of the test fluid can pass from the interior through the membrane to the outside via the through-opening
Implementation Method 2
the base (12) of the housing (11) tapers conically towards the through-opening (22)... the inner side (18) of which forms a cone that tapers towards the passage opening (22)... Due to the effect of gravity and the diameter of the interior (20) tapering towards the passage opening (22) and the membrane (25), the test fluid contained in the interior (20) runs or flows along the inner side (18) into the passage opening (22) and towards the membrane (25)
Implementation Method 3
EP 2 447 694 B1, for example, describes a liquid-filled test leak from which gas or vapor or liquid components transported by gas escape. The gases or the vapor or the liquid components transported by the gas, which escape from the test leak, are formed by the liquid as a result of its particular vapor pressure or by permeation through a solid layer of a membrane.
Data Source
AI summary
A test leak device has an interior surrounded by a housing that can be filled with a test fluid. The housing has a through-opening connecting the interior to the outer surroundings of the test leak device and a membrane that can be brought into or onto the through-opening. The membrane is permeable to the test fluid or to components of the test fluid. The membrane is part of a membrane element that seals the through-opening. The membrane element has a carrier element that is designed to be releasably fastened to the housing to close the through-opening when fastened so that the interior can be filled with test fluid through the through-opening. The carrier element also has an outlet duct that is sealed by the membrane, allowing only the test fluid or its components to escape through the membrane to the outside.