US 11,852,562 B2
Sniffing leak detector with switching valve and buffer chamber
Daniel Wetzig, Cologne (DE); and Marcel Ruth, Cologne (DE)
Assigned to INFICON GmbH, Cologne (DE)
Appl. No. 17/053,442
Filed by INFICON GmbH, Cologne (DE)
PCT Filed May 6, 2019, PCT No. PCT/EP2019/061540
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Nov. 6, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/215080, PCT Pub. Date Nov. 14, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 18171080 (EP), filed on May 7, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0231517 A1, Jul. 29, 2021
Int. Cl. G01M 3/04 (2006.01); G01N 1/24 (2006.01); G01N 33/00 (2006.01)
CPC G01M 3/04 (2013.01) [G01N 1/24 (2013.01); G01N 33/0026 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A sniffing leak detector comprising:
a handheld device with a sniffer tip probe comprising a sample gas inlet;
a reference gas inlet;
a gas analyzer; and
a switching valve adapted to alternatingly connect the sample gas inlet to the gas analyzer and the reference gas inlet to the gas analyzer in a gas conducting manner, such that either a gas drawn through the sample gas inlet or a gas drawn through the reference gas inlet is analyzed by the gas analyzer,
wherein the reference gas inlet is not arranged on the sniffer tip probe and thereby is located a remote distance from the sample gas inlet,
wherein the sniffing leak detector comprises a reference gas conduit, which connects the reference gas inlet and the switching valve, and comprises a buffer chamber defining a buffer volume, which permits homogeneous mixing of the gas drawn into the buffer chamber through the reference gas inlet with a remaining gas in the buffer chamber, and
wherein the buffer chamber comprises a buffer chamber inlet connected to the reference gas inlet and a buffer chamber outlet connected to the switching valve, wherein the buffer chamber outlet is off-set to the buffer chamber inlet with regard to a main gas flow direction through the buffer chamber inlet.