Patents Assigned to Inficon
  • Patent number: 7640791
    Abstract: A leak detecting device includes a carrying device attached to a holder to be fastened to the body of an operator. From the carrying device, a flexible capillary line extends to a sniffing probe, which includes a gas inlet at its front end. The carrying device is connected with a basic device that includes a vacuum pump. In the carrying device, a test gas detector is arranged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: Inficon GmbH
    Inventor: Thomas Böhm
  • Patent number: 7640790
    Abstract: For operating a hydrogen test leak unit including a chamber defined by a membrane, a test gas mixture of hydrogen and an added gas is used. The added gas has a permeation coefficient relative to the material of the membrane ranging between 50% and 200% of that of hydrogen. In this manner, demixing of the test gas mixture is limited and significant concentration variations in the chamber are prevented. Preferably, helium is used as added gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: Inficon GmbH
    Inventor: Heike Hilgers
  • Publication number: 20090288477
    Abstract: The leakage search assembly has a main device which contains a vacuum pump and a test gas sensor, and a hand-held sniffing probe. Capillary lines which connect the sniffing probe to the basic assembly contain valves by means of which these lines can be selectively opened. In a leakage search mode, the capillary line having the larger cross section is open. This results in leaks also being found from a greater distance. The dead time before response of the test gas sensor is shortened. Once a leak has been located, the assembly is switched to the leakage rate measurement mode, in which only the capillary line with the smaller cross section is open. This results in quantitative determination of the leakage rate with high accuracy and high stability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2006
    Publication date: November 26, 2009
    Applicant: INFICON GMBH
    Inventors: Werner Grosse Bley, Sandra Seitz
  • Patent number: 7614308
    Abstract: A diaphragm pressure measuring cell arrangement has a housing body at least partly made of sapphire material and a planar sapphire diaphragm with a peripheral edge joined by a first edge seal to the housing body to form a reference vacuum chamber. An outer surface of the diaphragm is exposed to a medium to be measured. A ceramic supporting body is attached to the back side of the housing body by sealing glass and includes a surface area overhanging that surrounds the housing body to form a first sealing surface. A tubular sensor casing incorporates the measuring cell for mounted the ceramic support body, the casing including an inside second surrounding sealing surface corresponding to the first sealing surface. A metal ring seal is between the sealing surfaces and a pressing member presses sealing surfaces together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2009
    Assignee: Inficon GmbH
    Inventors: Walter Christian Berner, Jarkko Antila, Gaétan Duplain, Per Björkman, Tove Manselin, Oskar Untermarzoner
  • Patent number: 7600989
    Abstract: A leak detector includes an inlet, a high-vacuum pump, and a test gas detector, which is connected to the entry of the high-vacuum pump. A backing pump is connected to an outlet area of the high-vacuum pump, and a test gas line extends between the inlet of the leak detector and the backing pump, the test gas line being connected to the outlet area of the high-vacuum pump via a line section. In order to shorten the response time of the leak detector, the line and the backing pump are connected via separate connections to the outlet area of the high-vacuum pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: Inficon GmbH
    Inventor: Thomas Böhm
  • Publication number: 20090212960
    Abstract: The sniffing leak detector comprises a sniffing probe, a suction device and gas detector. An operator-activated switch initiates the beginning of a measuring operation. The switch starts a time measurement, wherein an alarm signal is generated by a signal transmitter at the end of a predetermined measuring period. The sniffing leak detector allows for an operator guidance from measuring point (MP) to measuring point, wherein the measuring period is predetermined and an adherence to the measuring period is monitored.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2006
    Publication date: August 27, 2009
    Applicant: INFICON GMBH
    Inventors: Randolf Rolff, Norbert Moser, Sandra Seitz
  • Patent number: 7571634
    Abstract: The invention relates to a leak detector including a hand-held device with a sniffer tip. A distance detector for detecting a defined distance of the sniffer tip from the test object is provided on the sniffer tip. A test is only initiated if the distance between the sniffer tip and the test object is correct, thereby avoiding measuring errors due to wrong manual positioning of the sniffer probe. The leak detector can also be provided with an acceleration detector, which permits the test to be carried out only if the sniffer probe is kept steady.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2009
    Assignee: Inficon GmbH
    Inventor: Werner Grosse Bley
  • Patent number: 7538562
    Abstract: A high-performance miniature RF sensor that maintains gain, directivity, and isolation in a miniature package. The miniature RF sensor includes stacked current and voltage pickups disposed in a PCB construction, the sensor further including quarter wave transforming filter, triaxial shielding, and skin-effect filtering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: Inficon, Inc.
    Inventors: Craig Garvin, Michael Bonner, Kenneth Rosys
  • Patent number: 7536915
    Abstract: Introduced is a method for the production of a diaphragm vacuum measuring cell, wherein on the one side of the diaphragm (2) at a spacing a first housing plate (1) is disposed sealing in the margin region with a joining means (3), and that on the other side of the diaphragm (2) at a spacing a second housing plate (4) is disposed sealing in the margin region with a joining means (3), and that the second housing plate (4) has an opening at which a connection means (5) is disposed sealing with joining means (3) for the connection of the measuring cell (8) with the medium to be measured, wherein the diaphragm (2) and the two housing plates (1, 4) are comprised of a metal oxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: Inficon GmbH
    Inventors: Carsten Strietzel, Per Björkman, Walter Berner
  • Publication number: 20090100909
    Abstract: A leak testing device includes a chamber which is hermetically sealed towards the environment, having a test object filled with a test gas that is positioned in the chamber. In the chamber, a partial-pressure sensor is arranged that selectively responds to the test gas, but not to the filler gas. Thus, a leak test can be simply performed without high vacuum and without mass spectrometers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2005
    Publication date: April 23, 2009
    Applicant: Inficon Gmbh
    Inventors: Werner Grosse Bley, Daniel Wetzig
  • Patent number: 7500300
    Abstract: A manufacturing method for a vacuum measuring cell provides first and second Al2O3 ceramic or sapphire housing bodies on opposite sides of an Al2O3 ceramic or sapphire membrane sealed to the bodies at its opposite peripheral edges. A reference vacuum chamber and a measuring vacuum chamber are on opposite sides of the membrane. An optical transparent window is provided in the first housing body and an optically reflective material is provided on a central region of the membrane. A lens is above the optical transparent window for optically linking to the optically reflective material on the membrane and an optical fiber outside the reference vacuum chamber and at a distance from the optical transparent window feeds light through the lens and window and in and out onto the optically reflective material on the membrane so that the level of membrane deflection is detected by a Fabry-Perot Interferometer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2009
    Assignee: Inficon GmbH
    Inventors: Urs Wälchli, Per Björkman, Heikki Saari, Jarkko Antila, Hansjakob Hanselmann, Martin Wüest
  • Publication number: 20090014644
    Abstract: An ion source apparatus for partial pressure analyzers and in-situ cleaning method thereof based on inducing a hollow cathode discharge (HCD) inside the ion source. The HCD is formed by applying a high negative voltage to one or more parts of the ion source, including the anode electrode, the lens focus plate and at least one other lens or other form of plate, such as a total pressure collector plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2008
    Publication date: January 15, 2009
    Applicant: Inficon, Inc.
    Inventors: Chenglong Yang, Jeffrey P. Merrill, Louis C. Frees, Steven J. Lakeman
  • Publication number: 20090013766
    Abstract: In leak detection, the signal generated by a test gas is superposed by interferences which fade as the vacuum generation in a container proceeds. Depending on the negative slope of the volume signal (MS), a lower indication limit (AG) is calculated. Upon activation of a zero function, the volume signal (MS) is not reduced to zero but only to the level of the indication limit (AG). Any exceeding of the indication limit is identified as a leak. Thus, the maximum sensitivity of the leak detection is guaranteed at any time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2005
    Publication date: January 15, 2009
    Applicant: Inficon GmbH
    Inventors: Jorn Liebich, Randolf Rolff, Ralf Kilian
  • Publication number: 20080276692
    Abstract: The leak detector comprises a basic device (10) which includes a vacuum pump (11) and a test gas sensor (12), and a hand-held sniffing probe (16). The sniffing probe (16) is connected with the basic device (10) via a flexible hose line (15) which includes capillary tubes (20). According to the invention, at least two capillary tubes (20) are provided which are adapted to be opened via valves (23). Thus different capillary cross sections can be rendered operative. The dead time between the entry of the test gas into the sniffing probe (16) and the detection by the test gas sensor (12) can be changed and/or selected. Thus even the smallest detectable leak rate can be changed and/or selected. The leak detector can be adapted to different requirements by the user without the need for exchanging the hose line. Further, it is possible to equip different leak detectors of the same device family with the same hose lines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2006
    Publication date: November 13, 2008
    Applicant: Inficon GmbH
    Inventors: Daniel Wetzig, Stefan Mebus
  • Patent number: 7444854
    Abstract: A leak test apparatus includes a housing having an interior sized for retaining a plurality of instrument components including a control unit. A sniffer gun is linked to the instrument components, the sniffer gun having an intake point, and a test leak includes a gas reservoir, a constriction, an opening suited for introducing the intake point of said sniffer gun, and a temperature sensor. The temperature sensor is linked, either by means of a wired connection or wirelessly to the control unit for signal transfer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2008
    Assignee: Inficon GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Böhm, Werner Grosse Bley, Randolf Rolff, Sandra Seitz, Norbert Rolff
  • Patent number: 7443169
    Abstract: A shield arrangement for a vacuum measuring cell has a tubular shield housing encompassing a shield and an exit port for connection to a vacuum measuring cell and a connection opening for the object space to be measured. The shield is between the two openings and is implemented as a screw shield with spiral convolutions, its thread flange in the outer diameter being in contact on the inner wall of the shield housing such that a gas throughflow between the outer diameter of the thread flange and the inner wall is inhibited and is substantially forced into the spiral thread flight, and the exit port is on one side of the tubular section and the connection opening is on the other, opposite side and the screw shield is implemented such that in the axial line of vision the shield arrangement between the two openings is optically tight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2008
    Assignee: Inficon GmbH
    Inventors: Per Björkman, Urs Wälchli, Hansjakob Hanselmann, Stanislav Duris, Martin Wüest
  • Publication number: 20080223112
    Abstract: Sniffing probes are frequently used for detecting leaking gases in difficult-to-access and poorly visible environments, for example for detecting a gas leakage in a cooling device of a motor vehicle. It is an object of the invention to improve handling of the sniffing probe. According to the invention, the object is achieved by providing an illumination device (25) at the handle-piece (14) of the sniffing probe (11), which illumination device (25) illuminates the region to be inspected. This considerably facilitates handling of the sniffing probe in difficult-to-access and poorly illuminated regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2005
    Publication date: September 18, 2008
    Applicant: Inficon GmbH
    Inventors: Randolf Rolff, Ralf Kilian, Jorn Licbich, Norbert Moser, Norbert Rolff
  • Patent number: 7422627
    Abstract: A gas transmitter having selective gas permeable surfaces includes a support disc that is provided with a plurality of through openings. The support disc is made from a semiconductor material. The transmitter further includes a membrane covering the openings in the support disc thereby forming the selective gas permeable surfaces and further controls the temperature of the membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2008
    Assignee: Inficon GmbH
    Inventor: Daniel Wetzig
  • Publication number: 20080202211
    Abstract: The invention relates to a gas sensor comprising a pump chamber (11) which is connected to a getter pump (30) by means of a throttle channel (20). The detection chamber (11) is closed by a wall (12, 13) that is selectively permeable only to hydrogen. The getter pump (30) sucks hydrogen out of the detection chamber (11). Hydrogen is detected by a highly sensitive pressure sensor (14) when it is diffused into the pump chamber (11) through the wall (12, 13). Said gas sensor has a simple structure and does not require a mass spectrometer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2005
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Applicant: Inficon GmbH
    Inventor: Daniel Wetzig
  • Publication number: 20080164148
    Abstract: A selective gas sensor is for determining the presence of a test gas, for example, helium includes an evacuated housing, sealed by a selectively gas-permeable membrane. The membrane is part of a sight glass, whereby the glass pane is provided with a hole, sealed by the membrane made from a silicon material. The frame of the membrane wall is connected to the housing by means of a high-vacuum soft-metal seal. The housing can also form one of the electrodes of the gas pressure sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2005
    Publication date: July 10, 2008
    Applicant: Inficon GmbH
    Inventor: Werner Grosse Bley