Gas density increase measurement in a film chamber

Abstract

A method for a tightness test of a test piece (16) in a test chamber (10) whose wall is at least partly made of a flexible material, wherein said test piece is introduced into said test chamber and said test chamber is then evacuated, is characterized in that the tightness test is performed by measuring the gas density inside said test chamber (10) in the area outside said test piece (16).

Claims

1. A method for a tightness test of a test piece in a test chamber whose wall is at least partly made of a flexible material, comprising introducing said test piece into said test chamber, evacuating said test chamber such that the pressure within said test chamber is lower than the atmospheric pressure in the atmosphere surrounding said test chamber but greater than the pressure in an absolute vacuum, and measuring the gas density inside said test chamber in the area outside said test piece, wherein the tightness test is performed by measuring the collective density of all of the gas particles present within the test chamber in the area outside of the test piece.

2. The method for a tightness test according to claim 1, wherein the measurement of the gas density is performed by measurement of the electric charge, the infrared absorption, the Rayleigh scattering, the Raman scattering, the fluorescence, the gas heat conduction or with the aid of an oxygen sensor or a Wise-Technology sensor.

3. The method for a tightness test according to claim 1, wherein for the tightness test, no measurement of the gas pressure in the test chamber in the area outside the test piece is performed.

4. The method for a tightness test according to claim 1, wherein the gas from the test chamber is fed to a measuring cell in which the measuring of the gas density is performed.

5. The method for a tightness test according to claim 1, wherein the test chamber is a film chamber whose walls are made of flexible films.

6. The method for a tightness test according to claim 1, wherein the tightness test is performed by measuring the time profile of the gas density.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Hereunder exemplary embodiments of the invention are described with reference to the figures in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a first exemplary embodiment,

(3) FIG. 2 shows a second exemplary embodiment, and

(4) FIG. 3 shows a third exemplary embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(5) In all exemplary embodiments, the test chamber 10 is a film chamber having an upper film layer 12 and a lower film layer 14. The two film layers 12, 14 are placed around the test piece 16 and placed on each other in the area outside the test piece 16. Between the film layers 12, 14 and in their boundary areas outside the test piece a sealing ring 18 is inserted for gastightly closing the test chamber 10. The sealing ring 18 serves only for illustrating the principle of gastightly sealing the film layers 12, 14 in their boundary areas. Instead of the sealing ring a double seal may be employed.

(6) The test chamber volume 20 inside the test chamber 10 in the area outside the test piece 16 is reduced by evacuating the test chamber 10 until the film layers 12, 14 completely cling to the test piece 16. Evacuation, that is, the reduction of the pressure inside the test chamber 10, is performed by means of a vacuum pump 22 which is connected with the test chamber volume 20 via a valve assembly 24.

(7) In each exemplary embodiment, the density of the gas is measured with the aid of an infrared absorption measuring cell 26 inside the test chamber volume 20, but other density measuring method are also conceivable.

(8) In the first exemplary embodiment, the vacuum pump 22 and the measuring cell 26 are connected with the test chamber volume 20 via a three-way valve. Thus the gas line paths to the vacuum pump 22, to the measuring cell 26 and to the test chamber volume 20 can each be opened or shut off separately and independently of each other.

(9) In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 2 the vacuum pump 22 is connected with the test chamber volume 20 via a two-way valve, wherein the measuring cell 26 is connected in a gas-conducting manner with the gas line path between the test chamber 10 and the valve assembly 24.

(10) The third exemplary embodiment differs from the second exemplary embodiment in that the measuring cell 26 is contained in the gas line path from the test chamber 10 to the valve assembly 24.

(11) The test piece 16, which may be a flexible food package, is first placed between the two film layers 12, 14 and then the film layers are sealed. With the aid of the vacuum pump 22 the test chamber 10 is then evacuated such that the test chamber volume 20 in the area outside the test piece 16 is minimal. Then the vacuum pump 22 is disconnected from the test chamber 10 with the aid of the valve assembly 24. Gas exiting the test piece 16, which flows into the test chamber 10, is fed to the infrared absorption measuring cell 26. In the measuring cell 26 the density of the gas is determined. The gas density is monitored during a predetermined period of time, wherein an increase of the gas density indicates a leakage in the test piece 16. The increase of the gas density over time is used for determining the magnitude of the leakage.