Method and apparatus for electronic leak testing

US4587619A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Scans Associates, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Vernon G. Converse, III · Franklin, US
• James M. Bordato · Grosse Pointe Park, US
• Theodore R. Bott · Berkley, US
• Charles E. Foerster, Jr. · Northville, US
• Desra Herbst · Dayton, US
• Ronald K. Mudge · Brighton, US
• Richard L. Smith · Livonia, US
• Frank R. Young · Franklin, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 14, 1981
• Grant date: May 6, 1986
• Expiry date: Dec 14, 2001

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01M3/3263
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

The specification discloses an electronic dynamic balance leak testing system utilizing a "live zero", wherein a source of test medium at a predetermined desired pressure or vacuum is connected to a part to be tested, and after the part is filled with the test medium, and an interval is provided for the system to stabilize the affects due to wave front oscillations, the test part is momentarily isolated from said test media and a microcomputer system is utilized, both to cause said isolation, and to measure the differential pressure existing at two points during the test. In a modification of our system which can dynamically project leak and accept or reject parts much sooner because of this projection feature, the rate of change of the differential pressure transducer is examined and is compared to a curve which is characteristic of the rate of change of a volume which is experiencing a predominately leak based change of pressure. When the rate of change is determined to be predominately a leak based change, the rate of change is determined to be a "Qualified Leak" or a qualified curve. In this case, after a predetermined sample time elapses from the point at which the curve was q…