Patent · US Expired

Trimode gas detection instrument

US4664886A · kind A · utility

6Cited by
11References
8Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 13, 1983
Grant dateMay 12, 1987
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 13, 2003

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10T436/207497
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A trimode gas detection instrument having three operating modes, one which monitors the level of combustible gases, a second which monitors oxygen, and a third which monitors the displacement of air by an unknown gas. Only two sensors are used, a combustible gas sensor and an oxygen sensor. A switch selects the input to a readout so that the user can quickly observe the concentration readings in any of the three modes. In the depletion mode the readout is calibrated in relation to the inverse of the normal concentration of oxygen in air--i.e., zero depletion corresponds to an oxygen concentration of 21%. In the event that an unknown gas displaces air in a sample atmosphere, concentration of the unknown gas appears on the readout, such that zero oxygen corresponds to a concentration of 100% unknown gas.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.