Multistage container leak testing
US10012560B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 8, 2012 |
| Grant date | Jul 3, 2018 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 2, 2033 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01M3/329
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A coarse-fine two-stage leak detection is carried out on sealed, filled containers loaded into container holders or “pucks”. Failure of the first, coarse leak detection stage, e.g. a pressure-course or impedance or laser-absorption based leak detection stage, causes containers to be rejected together with their corresponding container holders. These are then separated, and the container holder is cleaned and dried before being returned to the system. Any leaking product from inside a grossly leaking container is thus retained within the container holder, thus reducing contamination of subsequent containers and their container holders, preventing such contamination from reaching the fine leak detection stage, e.g. a mass-spectrometer-based leak detection stage.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.