Leak detection device and method for checking objects for fluid tightness by means of a leak detection device

Abstract

A leak detection device has a test chamber which, for evacuation, is connected to an evacuation pump device. Moreover, the test chamber is connected by a test gas line to a test gas pump device. The test gas pump device is connected, at its main inlet, to a test gas detector, such that a detection of test gas can take place using the counter-current principle. A valve device is arranged in the test gas line. This valve device has a test gas chamber for temporary storage of test gas removed from the test chamber.

Claims

1. A leak detector device comprising a test chamber and/or an object to be tested, which is connected with an evacuation pump for evacuation, a test gas line connected with the test chamber and/or the object to be tested and an intermediate inlet of a test gas pump, a test gas detector arranged at a main inlet of the test gas pump, wherein the test gas pump comprises at least one rotor element, so that a main flow path is defined from the main inlet along the at least one rotor element to an outlet, and wherein a counter-flow path extends from the intermediate inlet to the main inlet, and a valve device with a test gas chamber, arranged in the test gas line, to buffer test gas drawn from the test chamber or the object under test to be supplied to the intermediate inlet of the test gas pump.

2. The leak detector device of claim 1, wherein the valve device comprises a first valve upstream of the test gas chamber in the flow direction and a second valve downstream of the test gas chamber in the flow direction.

3. The leak detector device of claim 2, further comprising a control which opens the first valve to draw test gas from the test chamber and/or the object under test and opens the second valve to supply the test gas to the test gas pump.

4. The leak detector device of claim 3, wherein the control ensures that the second valve opens only after the first valve has been closed.

5. The leak detector device of claim 1, wherein the valve device comprises a single valve with an integrated test gas chamber.

6. The leak detector device of claim 5, wherein by displacing a double piston the inlet or the outlet of the single valve can be closed or opened, respectively.

7. A method for checking objects for tightness using the leak detector device of claim 1, wherein a test gas is drawn from the test chamber and/or an object under test into the test gas chamber, a connection between the test gas chamber and the test chamber or the object under test is interrupted, and the drawn test gas is supplied from the test gas chamber to the test gas pump, wherein, for a measurement according to the counter-flow principle, the test gas pump is supplied via an intermediate inlet and flows partially against a main flow path to a main inlet of the test gas pump where a test gas detector is arranged.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the test gas is supplied from the test gas chamber to the test gas pump only when a predetermined pressure level prevailing in the test gas pump is reached.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein test gas is drawn, successively at different pressure levels, from the test chamber and/or the object under test and is supplied to the test gas pump.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the test chamber and/or the object under test are evacuated by an evacuation pump independently of the test gas pump.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the Figures:

(2) FIGS. 1-3 are schematic illustrations of different preferred embodiments of leak detector devices of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(3) An object to be tested for tightness is arranged in a test chamber 10. The test chamber 10 is connected with a pump 14 via an evacuation line 12. Instead of providing an evacuation chamber 10, in which the object under test is arranged, it is also possible to immediately and directly evacuate the object. A controllable evacuation valve 16 is arranged in the evacuation line 12. For checking the tightness, the test chamber 10 or the object under test is connected with a test gas pump means 18 via a test gas line 20 Alternatively, as illustrated by the dotted line 22, the test gas line 20 can also be connected with the evacuation line 12 at a position downstream of the evacuation valve 16 in the flow direction.

(4) The test gas line 20 is connected with an intermediate inlet 24 of a pump 26 of the test gas pump means 18, illustrated as a turbomolecular pump in the present embodiment. A test gas detector 30 is connected with the main inlet 28 of the turbomolecular pump. An outlet 32 of the turbomolecular pump is connected with a backing pump 36 with interposition of a valve 34.

(5) According to the disclosure, a valve means 38 is arranged in the test gas line 20. In the first embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the valve means has a first controllable valve 40 and a second, also controllable valve 42 arranged downstream of the former in the flow direction. A test gas chamber 44 is provided between the two valves 40, 42. Both the two controllable valves 40, 42 and the test gas detector 30 are connected with a control means 46. Further, a pressure metering means 48 can be arranged in a connecting line from the control means 46 to the test gas detector 30. Moreover, the control of the evacuation valve 16 can be effected via the control means 46.

(6) Further, a calibration means 37 is arranged in the test gas line 20 preferably immediately upstream of the intermediate inlet 24.

(7) For checking the tightness of the object under test, the test gas pump means 18 is used to generate a very low pressure in the region of the test gas detector 30. Likewise, the evacuation pump means 14 is used in the embodiment illustrated to evacuate the test chamber 10 or immediately the object under test, with a higher pressure prevailing at the beginning of the check, i.e. during a coarse leak detection. For a coarse leak detection, the valve 40 is then opened so that a small volume of test gas flows into the test gas chamber 44. Then, the valve 40 is closed and the valve 42 is opened. The test gas flows from the test gas chamber 44 through the intermediate inlet 24 into the turbomolecular pump 26. The turbomolecular pump 26 and the backing pump 36 pump the test gas along the main flow path towards an outlet 50. A small volume flows against the main flow path or the main flow direction, according to the counter-flow principle, from the intermediate inlet 24 in the direction of the main inlet 28 of the turbomolecular pump and then reaches the test gas detector 30. When the test gas detector detects the test gas, such as helium, for instance, a corresponding signal is generated and the check is terminated, since the rough examination already yielded the result that the object under test has a leak.

(8) If in this step of the check the test gas detector 30 does not yet detect test gas, the test gas pump means 18 is again brought to the initial low pressure. At the same time, the pressure in the test chamber 10 or in the object under test is reduced, with a lower pressure now being reached. In the next step of the check, the valve 40 is again opened first, so that gas flows into the test gas chamber 44. Subsequently, the valve 40 is closed and the valve 42 is opened as before, in order to convey, as described above, the gas present in the test gas chamber 44 through the turbomolecular pump 26 and to the test gas detector 30. According to the first method step, the test gas detector 30 again performs a detection and correspondingly outputs a signal, when a leakage could be detected.

(9) Thereafter, this step may be repeated several times. with the pressure in the test chamber 10 ever decreasing, so that the tightness check becomes ever finer.

(10) It is an essential advantage of the leak detector device of the present disclosure that always only a small volume of test gas, the volume of the test gas chamber 44, has to be pumped by the test gas pump means 18. This is advantageous in that the test gas can be introduced at an intermediate inlet 24 arranged near the main inlet 28 and already being at a very low pressure level. This, in turn, has the advantage that the counter-flow path that the test gas has to travel to the test gas detector 30 is short, so that the fast detection can be made. Moreover, it is always necessary to clean the test gas pump means 18 before checking a new object, provided that a leak has been detected during a prior check. The helium present in the system must be pumped away completely. Since, according to the disclosure, only a small volume of test gas is supplied to the system, a corresponding cleaning can be carried out very quickly. This means a significant improvement in the economic efficiency of the leak detector device.

(11) In the embodiment (FIGS. 2 and 3) described hereunder, similar components are identified by the same reference numerals.

(12) The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2 differs from the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 merely by the design of the valve means 38. In this embodiment, the valve means 38 comprises a single valve 52 configured as a valve with an integrated test gas chamber. The valve 52 has an inlet 54 and an outlet 56. When the valve inlet opens 53, test gas flows through the test gas line 22 into the integrated test chamber 44. The gas present in the test gas chamber 44 can leave the valve via the outlet 56 after the inlet 54 has been closed and reaches, as described above, the test gas pump means 18. The valve 52 is opened and closed by displacing a double piston 45. This is done by means of springs 47 and a correspondingly controlled solenoid 49.

(13) The tightness check of the object is done analogously to the check described with reference to FIG. 1.

(14) The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3 substantially corresponds to the embodiment in FIG. 2 and also comprises a valve 52 with an integrated volume. The sole difference is that the evacuation line 12 is connected with the backing pump 36 of the test gas pump means 18 for the evacuation of the test chamber 10. The backing pump 36 thus serves as the evacuation pump means for the evacuation of the test chamber 10 or of the object to be tested. A separate pump 14, as illustrated in the embodiments in FIGS. 1 and 2, can be omitted.

(15) Of course, the valve means 38 illustrated in FIG. 1 can also find application in the embodiment in FIG. 3.