Chemical apparatus and process disinfecting – deodorizing – preser – Analyzer – structured indicator – or manipulative laboratory... – Means for analyzing gas sample
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-20
2001-09-11
Alexander, Lyle A. (Department: 1743)
Chemical apparatus and process disinfecting, deodorizing, preser
Analyzer, structured indicator, or manipulative laboratory...
Means for analyzing gas sample
C422S098000, C436S137000, C073S023310, C073S023320, C356S437000, C356S438000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06287519
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a portable, hand-held vehicle exhaust analyzer.
Due to government regulations, testing of vehicle exhaust emissions for compliance with minimum standards has become a necessary function for testing facilities and repair garages. Originally, only hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide had to be measured, but stricter standards have added oxygen and carbon dioxide, and still stricter regulations require oxides of nitrogen to be measured as well for compliance with statutory requirements. If a vehicle fails an emission test, it must be repaired. In the repair process, a mechanic must be able to tell whether the repairs have affected the content of the exhaust gas that was at an unacceptable level during the emission test. Therefore, there is a need for a vehicle gas analyzer that can be used by repair technicians to determine whether their repairs have remedied emission test failures.
Large platform engine analyzers were initially developed to measure gases emitted in vehicle exhaust. These platform engine analyzers were large devices that were transported by wheeling them around on a large cart. These large engine analyzers are typically utilized by government agencies to perform actual emission tests on vehicles, but their size and considerable expense make them difficult for smaller repair garages to own.
“Portable ” exhaust gas analyzers were subsequently developed to be used for repair purposes. While portable exhaust gas analyzers are smaller than the larger platform analyzers used previously, they still weigh over thirty pounds, and are too large to be held in the hands of a user during operation. The units contain a large heater, since the infrared sensing equipment in these units operates at a temperature greater than ambient temperature. Typically a chopper motor is employed to serve as a zero reference for infrared sensors operating in the analyzers. A large pump is also required to advance high volumes of exhaust gas through the analyzer. These components draw a large amount of power, compelling the implementation of a large power supply within the analyzer, take significant amounts of space, and generate substantial heat, necessitating the use of metal throughout the analyzer and reducing the analyzer's “portability”. In addition, it is often difficult to remove and replace the parts of the analyzer, such as filters or the pump, which regularly wear out.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved portable exhaust gas analyzer, such as a hand-held vehicle gas analyzer, which is of a size and weight to be carried easily by a user, while still performing the same functions of sampling and sensing gas content in vehicle exhaust as previous exhaust gas analyzers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a hand-held vehicle exhaust analyzer for testing gas content in exhaust emitted from a vehicle. The vehicle exhaust analyzer is of a size and weight to be held in a user's hands. The analyzer includes a housing having an inlet for receiving exhaust emitted from the vehicle under test. A sensor assembly is disposed in the housing and receives the exhaust emitted from the vehicle through the inlet, typically filtered to remove solid and liquid matter from the exhaust. The sensor assembly determines the content of a plurality of different gases in the exhaust emitted from the vehicle. A control system is disposed in the housing and is operatively coupled with the sensor assembly to regulate operations of the sensor assembly and receive and interprets results of operations of the sensor assembly. A power supplying apparatus is disposed in the housing, and receives power from a source located externally from the housing and delivers power throughout the vehicle gas analyzing system. The housing and all components disposed in the housing have a combined weight of no greater than about five pounds.
According to one aspect of the vehicle gas analyzing system, the sensor assembly functions at ambient temperature. The sensor assembly comprises an infrared sensor operating on the exhaust to determine the content of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and hydrocarbons in the exhaust, and chemical sensors operating on the exhaust to determine the content of oxygen and oxides of nitrogen in the exhaust.
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Product Brochure entitled “OTC Portable 5-Gas Analyer”.
Product Brochure entitled “MPSI PGA-5™ Portable 5 Gas Analyzer”.
Product Brochure entitled “Kal-Equip Model 5000K Automotive 4-Gas Emissions Analyzer”.
Product Brochure entitled “Kal-Equip Bar 90 Automotive 4-Gas Emissions Analyzer 392-3003”.
Product Brochure entitled “Summit FGA-4000 Four Gas Analyzer System”.
Product Brochure entitled “BEAR Digital 4-Gas Analyzer”.
Product Brochure entitled “Allen Testproducts Digital 4-Gas Analyzer”.
Product Brochure entitled “Horiba The Portable MEXA”.
Product Brochure entitled “Vetronix Corporation PXA-1100 portable emissions testers PXA-1000”.
Johnson Peter D.
Liebl Troy J.
Neal John D.
Nordman Jonathan D.
Wolf Timothy J.
Alexander Lyle A.
Kinney & Lange , P.A.
SPX Corporation
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