Colorimeter probe

Claim 2

A colorimeter probe comprising, a housing, a lamp mounted in the housing, a pair of photocells mounted in the housing, one of said photocells being a reference cell and the other being a signal cell, means defining a pair of optical paths from said lamp, each of said paths terminating at one of said photocells, a probe tip adapted to be inserted in a solution to be tested, said probe tip being disposed along the one of said optical paths which terminates at said signal photocell, said probe tip being formed from a unitary piece of lighttransmitting material and having a chamber therein disposed along the optical path extending therethrough, means for applying an AC voltage to said lamp, circuit means for shifting the phase of the applied voltage to said lamp to a phase different from that applied to ambient artificial lighting, detecting circuit means connected to said signal cell for detecting the output of said signal cell, said detection circuit means including circuit means for detecting the output of said signal cell synchronously with the voltage applied to said lamp whereby the effects of ambient light may be minimized.

Claim 3

A colorimeter probe as defined in claim 1 wherein said housing comprises a casing, and further comprising, said tip being detachably mounted to the end of said casing by means comprising a socket formed in said end of said casing, said tip being removably mounted in said socket to enable said tip to be replaced without removing any of the other components of said colorimeter.

Claim 4

A colorimeter probe as defined in claim 1 wherein said means defining one of said light paths comprises at least two flexible light transmitting cables extending from said housing, one of said cables being mounted to said housing in alignment with said light source and the other of said cables being mounted to said housing in alignment with said signal sensor.

Claim 5

A colorimeter probe comprising, a housing, a lamp mounted in the housing, a pair of photocells mounted in the housing, one of said photocells being a reference cell and the other being a signal cell, means defining a pair of optical paths from said lamp, each of said paths terminating at one of said photocells, a probe tip adapted to be inserted in a solution to be tested, said probe tip being disposed along the one of said optical paths which terminates at said signal photocell, said probe tip being formed from a unitary piece of light-transmitting material and having a chamber therein disposed along the optical path extending therethrough, said means defining one of said optical paths comprising at lEast two flexible light transmitting cables extending from said housing, one of said cables being mounted to said housing in alignment with said light source and the other of said cables being mounted to said housing in alignment with said signal cell, means for detachably connecting the outer ends of said cables to said probe tip, said means for detachably connecting the outer ends of said cable comprising, an elongate probe support secured to the ends of said cables, said probe tip being elongate and having a longitudinal bore opened at one end, said bore being receptive to the end of said elongate probe to cause said probe tip to cover a substantial portion of said probe support, said probe tip having a chamber formed therein outwardly beyond the end of said probe support, and light reflecting means at the outermost end of said probe tip to reflect light emitted from one of said cables back toward the other of said cables.

Claim 6

A colorimeter probe comprising, a housing, a lamp mounted in the housing, a pair of photocells mounted in the housing, one of said photocells being a reference cell and the other being a signal cell, means defining a pair of optical paths from said lamp, each of said paths terminating at one of said photocells, a probe tip adapted to be inserted in a solution to be tested, said probe tip being disposed along the one of said optical paths which terminates at said signal photocell, said probe tip being formed from a unitary piece of light-transmitting material and having a chamber therein disposed along the optical path extending therethrough, said means defining one of said optical paths comprising at lEast two flexible light transmitting cables extending from said housing, one of said cables being mounted to said housing in alignment with said light source and the other of said cables being mounted to said housing in alignment with said signal cell, means for detachably connecting the outer ends of said cables to said probe tip, said means for detachably connecting the outer ends of said cable comprising, an elongate probe support secured to the ends of said cables, said probe tip being elongate and having a longitudinal bore opened at one end, said bore being receptive to the end of said elongate probe to cause said probe tip to cover a substantial portion of said probe support, said probe tip having a chamber formed therein outwardly beyond the end of said probe support, and light reflecting means at the outermost end of said probe tip to reflect light emitted from one of said cables back toward the other of said cables.

Claim 7

A colorimeter probe as defined in claim 4 further comprising, a filter assembly, including a plurality of filters, between the end of said other cable and said signal cell, said filter assembly being disposed within said housing, and control means on said housing for selectively moving one of said filters into a position between said other cable and said signal cell.

Claim 8

A colorimeter probe as defined in claim 4 further comprising, means for applying an AC voltage to said lamp, circuit means for shifting the phase of the applied voltage to said lamp to a phase different from that applied to ambient artificial lighting, detecting circuit means connected to said signal cell for detecting the output of said signal cell, said detection circuit means including circuit means for detecting the output of said signal cell synchronously with the voltage applied to said lamp whereby the effects of ambient light may be minimized.

Claim 9

A colorimeter probe comprising, a housing, a lamp mounted in the housing, a pair of photocells mounted in the housing, one of said photocells being a reference cell and the other being a signal cell, means defining a pair of optical paths from said lamp, each of said paths terminating at one of said photocells, a probe tip adapted to be inserted in a solution to be tested, said probe tip being disposed along the one of said optical paths which terminates at said signal photocell, said probe tip being formed from a unitary piece of light-transmitting material and having a chamber therein disposed along the optical path extending therethrough, said housing comprising a casing, said tip being detachably mounted to the end of said casing by means comprising a socket formed in the end of said casing, said tip being removably mounted in said socket to enable said tip to be replaced without removing any of the other components of said colorimeter, said means mounting said probe tip within said socket comprising a resilient ring retained within said socket and partially extending radially and inwardly into said socket, said probe tip having an inner end adapted to be inserted into said socket, said inner end being formed with an annular groove engageable with said resilient ring to detachably grip said resilient ring and to effect a seal between said socket and said casing and said probe tip.

Claim 10

A colorimeter probe comprising, a housing, a lamp mounted in the housing, a pair of photocells mounted in the housing, one of said photocells being a reference cell and the other being a signal cell, means defining a pair of optical paths from said lamp, each of said paths terminating at one of said photocells, a probe tip adapted to be inserted in a solution to be tested, said probe tip being disposed along the one of said optical paths which terminates at said signal photocell, said probe tip being formed from a unitary piece of light-transmitting material and having a chamber therein disposed along the optical path extending therethrough, said housing comprising a casing, said tip being detachably mounted to the end of said casing by means comprising a socket formed in the end of said casing, said tip being removably mounted in said socket to enable said tip to be replaced without removing any of the other components of said colorimeter, said means mounting said probe tip within said socket comprising a resilient ring retained within said socket and partially extending radially and inwardly into said socket, said probe tip having an inner end adapted to be inserted into said socket, said inner end being formed with an annular groove engageable with said resilient ring to detachably grip said resilient ring and to effect a seal between said socket and said casing and said probe tip.

Claim 11

A colorimeter probe as defined in claim 7 further comprises, said inner end of said probe tip being formed with raised longitudinal ribs for engagement with the inner surface of said socket.

Claim 12

A colorimeter probe as defined in claim 7 wherein said housing comprises an elongated casing, said probe tip being mounted at one end of said casing, said lamp being located at the other end of said casing and said photocells being disposed between the ends thereof and wherein said means defining said two optical paths comprises, a beam splitter interposed between said lamp and said probe tip, said beam splitter being arrangEd to direct a portion of the light beam from said lamp directly to the reference cell and the remaining portion of said light beam to the probe tip, said probe tip including a light reflective surface formed integrally therewith at its extreme end for returning said other of said beams through the chamber to the beam splitter and then to the signal cell.

Claim 13

A colorimeter probe as defined in claim 7 further comprising, means for applying an AC voltage to said lamp, circuit means for shifting the phase of the applied voltage to said lamp to a phase different from that applied to ambient artificial lighting, detecting circuit means connected to said signal cell for detecting the output of said signal cell, said detection circuit means including circuit means for detecting the output of said signal cell synchronously with the voltage applied to said lamp whereby the effects of ambient light may be minimized.