In a method for evaluating the measuring signal of a vacuum leak detector comprising a vacuum pump (16) and a test chamber (12) connected with the vacuum pump (16) and a gas detector (14) connected with the test chamber (12), characterized by determining the system time constant ? of the vacuum leak detector, wherein the system time constant ? is the duration of the system-related rise of the measured signal in response to a gas component escaped through a leak in the test object or the duration of the system-related drop of the measured signal in response to a gas component no longer from a leak in the test object, the following steps are provided:

generating a measuring signal I(t) of the gas drawn from the test chamber (12) at a time t, using the gas detector (14).

buffering the measured signal I(t), forming a measuring signal ?(t+t0) prognosed for a future time t>t+t0, based on the measured value of the buffered measuring signal I(t) and the system time constant ?,

generating a measuring signal I(t+t0) of the gas drawn from the test chamber (12) at a time t+t0, using the gas detector (14).

forming the difference between the measuring signal I(t+t0) an the prognosed measuring signal ?(t+t0) scaled by a constant C2,

judging, whether the test object has a leakage, based on the difference I(t+t0)?C2 ?(t+t0) formed.

(FIG. 2)

A system for detecting leaks from containers is provided. The system comprises conveying means including at least one inlet conveyor belt and being configured to transport containers, already filled with a given food and sealed, to an inspection zone. The system further comprises an inspection apparatus, configured to test the tightness of containers arrived at the inspection zone. The inspection apparatus comprises extraction means and suction means, configured to induce the release of volatile substances from each container arrived at the inspection zone and suck in gas surrounding each of the containers and any volatile substances leaked from the containers. The inspection apparatus also including detection means configured to analyze the sucked-in gas and detect the presence of any volatile substances leaked from the containers.

A seal inspection device includes: a first holder including a port surrounded by an inspection target, and a through hole connected to an outside-leak detection flow path; a second holder holding the inspection target between the first and second holders; an inspection-place sealing portion forming, into a closed space, a space where the inspection target is arranged, in cooperation with the first and second holders; a pressurization valve connecting the port to both a supply source of an inspection gas and an exhaust system; a detector for the inspection gas; a first measurement valve connecting the detector to the port; and a second measurement valve connecting the outside-leak detection flow path to the detector.

A lithium ion battery (11) that is a test object is housed in a vacuum chamber (14). An initial exhaust pipe (47) and an inspection exhaust pipe (51) are connected to the upper portion of the vacuum chamber (14). The inside of the vacuum chamber (14) is subjected to an initial exhaust through the initial exhaust pipe (47) to lower the pressure inside the vacuum chamber (14) to an inspection pressure (Pe). Thereafter, an inspection exhaust is performed through the inspection exhaust pipe (51). A sensor unit (16) is interposed in the inspection exhaust pipe (51). Exhaust gas passing through the inspection exhaust pipe (51) flows into the sensor unit (16) from an inlet port, and is caused to flow perpendicularly toward the sensor face of a gas sensor by a nozzle provided inside the sensor unit (16). The exhaust gas passes through the inside of the gas sensor, and is discharged to outside of the sensor unit (16) from an exhaust port.

A leak detection system for detecting leaks in pressurised containers, the system comprising a leak test conveyor for moving each container and an accumulation tunnel through which the leak test conveyer extends, wherein the accumulation tunnel and the leak test conveyer together define at least one enclosed accumulation volume, each enclosed accumulation volume being sized to accommodate only a single container, thereby to allow gas leaking from the single container to accumulate, and a gas sensor for sensing accumulated leaked gas from the single container.

A method for monitoring the leaktightness of sealed products is provided, including: a charging stage during which at least one sealed product containing a tracer gas is placed in a chamber under atmospheric pressure; a pre-evacuation stage during which the chamber containing the at least one sealed product is brought into communication with a buffer volume under a subatmospheric pressure for a pre-evacuation time of less than 0.5 second; and bringing the chamber into communication with an analysis line arranged to bypass the buffer volume in order to measure a concentration of the tracer gas in the chamber so as to detect a leak from the at least one sealed product. An installation for the detection of leaks for implementing the method is also provided.

A method is for the leak testing and/or leakage measurement of a component with a plurality of channels. The method includes applying a predefined input state to an input configuration of channels of the component, measuring an output state at an output configuration of channels of the component, and determining a leakage state and/or a leakage rate of the component based on the measurement. The input configuration has at least two channels of the component and the output configuration has at least one other channel of the component, or the input configuration has at least one channel of the component and the output configuration has at least two other channels of the component

A method, a device and a use of the device are provided for carrying out an integrity test on a test container (1) that has at least one flexible casing material. The method includes the steps of: filling a test fluid into the test container (1); and detecting the presence of test fluid directly outside the test container (1). The test fluid is designed in such a way that the permeation rate of test fluid through undamaged casing material of the test container (1) is not greater than 1.Math.10.sup.6 mbar.Math.m/(s.Math.bar).

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.

Inspection methods and systems for detecting leaks in a vacuum bag assembly used in the manufacture of a composite part based on spraying helium over the vacuum bag and detecting the helium drawn by the vacuum inside the vacuum bag through a leak. The inspection methods comprise creating a local helium atmosphere in a chamber over the vacuum bag assembly by zones, following a programmed zonal sequence, for a first leak detection test of each zone and a subsequent second leak detection test if the first test gives a positive result. The inspection systems comprise a helium spraying system and helium detecting equipment arranged to implement the inspection methods.