Helium leak tester for vehicle fuel tanks
US6289722A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 6, 1999 |
| Grant date | Sep 18, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 6, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01M3/226
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method of leak testing a walled tank (16) that has multiple joints containing closures or closure devices (18, 20, 22, 24) closing openings in the wall. Rims (38) of multiple cups (26, 28, 30, 32) are disposed against the tank wall to place the cup interiors in substantial sealed covering relation to underlying zones of the tank wall containing joints to be checked. A tank seal (52) is disposed fluid-tight against a fill spud (18) in the tank wall, and a test gas, helium, is introduced into the interior of the tank. Gas from within the interior of each cup is sampled via a respective sampling conduit (48), and a purge gas is introduced into the interior of each cup via a respective purge conduit (46) while the gas from the interior of each cup is being sampled via the respective sampling conduit.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.