Electrochemical gas analyzer

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 in which the sensor has a reservoir containing the liquid electrolYte, said reservoir located in the bottom of the housing when mounted in said socket, said reservoir is in complete communication with said electrolytic cell means and said liquid absorbent means.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the reservoir is provided with a vent having a semipermeable closure for allowing the escape of gas and pressure equalization but inhibiting the loss of electrolyte.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said electrical meter means has at least two said sockets, plural sensors equal in number to the number sockets are provided, each said sensor having a different electrolytic cell means for detecting different selected components of such fluidic mixture, and said electrical meter means having selectively operable switch means for monitoring the response of a selected sensor.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein a first said sensor detects first selected components of such fluidic mixture, a second said sensor detects second selected components of such fluidic mixture as well as said first selected components, and said electrical meter means having means for electrically correlating the responses of said first and second sensors to produce a quantitative representation of the proportion of said second selected components.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 1 in which said compartment for receiving said electrolytic cell is generally cylindrical and said screen electrodes are circular, said compartment leaving annular shoulders for supporting said screen electrodes, and said electrical connecting means comprise separate wires with a portion of each wire positioned on a said shoulder for pressure contact with said screen electrode.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said liquid absorbent means is comprised of a plurality of filter papers.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 1 in which a restricted passageway communicates said inlet means with said chamber for minimizing pressure surges in said chamber and on said electrolytic cell means upon variations in the pressure of the fluidic mixture supplied to the sensor.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a temperature responsive element is mounted in said sensor housing in said chamber in direct communication with the fluidic mixture passing through said chamber, said temperature responsive element producing a second electrical response and having electrical terminals connecting the element to the electrical meter means with the sensor in the socket, and said electrical meter means employing said second electrical response for compensating for the effects of temperature on the detecting response of said electrolytic cell means.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 10 in which said sensor and said electrical meter means include cooperating means for operating said switch to disconnect said electrodes upon insertion of said sensor into said socket.

Claim 14

In an apparatus for analyzing the presEnce of one or more selected components of a fluidic mixture which apparatus employs an electrical meter to convert a variable electrical response from a sensor into a representation of the proportion of said selected components, wherein the improvement comprises a sensor that includes a housing having inlet and outlet connections communicating with a chamber for such fluidic mixture to pass through said chamber from said inlet to said outlet, said housing having a liquid reservoir separate from said chamber and containing an electrolyte, an electrolytic cell mounted in said housing between said chamber and said reservoir for producing such variable electrical response corresponding to variations in the proportion of such selected components in such fluidic mixture passing through said chamber, said electrolytic cell including a pair of flat electrodes of dissimilar metals mounted in spaced relationship with one electrode adjacent said chamber, liquid absorbent means filling the space between said electrodes and and saturated with the electrolyte from said reservoir, said liquid absorbent means including a plurality of filter papers with integral portions thereof comprising wick means extending from filter papers into said reservoir for continuously supplying the electrolyte to said filter papers, a membrane separating said cell from said chamber and covering the said one electrode for preventing the passage of electrolyte and allowing the limited passage of such fluidic mixture therethrough, and said housing having a vent opening from said reservoir with a semi-permeable closure in said vent opening for allowing the escape of gas and pressure equalization but inhibiting the loss of electrolyte.

Claim 15

In an apparatus for analyzing the presEnce of one or more selected components of a fluidic mixture which apparatus employs an electrical meter to convert a variable electrical response from a sensor into a representation of the proportion of said selected components, wherein the improvement comprises a sensor that includes a housing having inlet and outlet connections communicating with a chamber for such fluidic mixture to pass through said chamber from said inlet to said outlet, said housing having a liquid reservoir separate from said chamber and containing an electrolyte, an electrolytic cell mounted in said housing between said chamber and said reservoir for producing such variable electrical response corresponding to variations in the proportion of such selected components in such fluidic mixture passing through said chamber, said electrolytic cell including a pair of flat electrodes of dissimilar metals mounted in spaced relationship with one electrode adjacent said chamber, liquid absorbent means filling the space between said electrodes and and saturated with the electrolyte from said reservoir, said liquid absorbent means including a plurality of filter papers with integral portions thereof comprising wick means extending from filter papers into said reservoir for continuously supplying the electrolyte to said filter papers, a membrane separating said cell from said chamber and covering the said one electrode for preventing the passage of electrolyte and allowing the limited passage of such fluidic mixture therethrough, and said housing having a vent opening from said reservoir with a semi-permeable closure in said vent opening for allowing the escape of gas and pressure equalization but inhibiting the loss of electrolyte.

Claim 16

In an apparatus for analyzing the presence of one or more selected components of a fluidic mixture which apparatus employs an electrical meter to convert a variable electrical response from a sensor into a representation of the proportion of said selected components, wherein the improvement comprises a sensor that includes a housing having inlet and outlet connections communicating with a chamber for such fluidic mixture to pass through said chamber from said inlet to said outlet, said housing having a liquid reservoir separate from said chamber and containing an electrolyte, an electrolytic cell mounted in said housing between said chamber and said reservoir for producing such variable electrical response corresponding to variations in the proportion of such selected components in such fluidic mixture passing through said chamber, said electrolytic cell including a pair of flat electrodes of dissimilar metals mounted in spaced relationship with one electrode adjacent said chamber, said electrodes being circular and of different diameters, the portion of said housing containing said electrolytic cell being generally cylindrical and having two annular shoulders of different diameters facing the same direction at opposite axial extremities of the compartment with one of said electrodes positioned on each said shoulder, an electrically conductive ring positioned on each of the two annular shoulders between the respective electrode and shoulder, such electrolyte from said reservoir being in the space between said electrodes, and a membrane separating said cell from said chamber preventing the passage of electrolyte and allowing the limited passage of such fluidic mixture.

Claim 17

In an apparatus for analyzing the presence of one or more selected components of a fluidic mixture which apparatus employs an electrical meter to convert a variable electrical response from a sensor into a representation of the proportion of said selected components, wherein the improvement comprises a sensor that includes a housing having inlet and outlet connections communicating with a chamber for such fluidic mixture to pass through said chamber from said inlet to said outlet, said housing having a liquid reservoir separate from said chamber and containing an electrolyte, an electrolytic cell mounted in said housing between said chamber and said reservoir for producing such variable electrical response corresponding to variations in the proportion of such selected components in such fluidic mixture passing through said chamber, said electrolytic cell including a pair of flat electrodes of dissimilar metals mounted in spaced relationship with one electrode adjacent said chamber, said electrodes being circular and of different diameters, the portion of said housing containing said electrolytic cell being generally cylindrical and having two annular shoulders of different diameters facing the same direction at opposite axial extremities of the compartment with one of said electrodes positioned on each said shoulder, an electrically conductive ring positioned on each of the two annular shoulders between the respective electrode and shoulder, such electrolyte from said reservoir being in the space between said electrodes, and a membrane separating said cell from said chamber preventing the passage of electrolyte and allowing the limited passage of such fluidic mixture.

Claim 18

The apparatus of claim 13 in which said flat electrodes are comprised of fine mesh woven screen, and an annular electrically conductive ring is joined to each said screen with each said ring adapted to fit on the respective annular shoulder on which said screen is positioned.

Claim 19

In an apparatus for analyzing the presence of one or more selected components of a fluidic mixture which apparatus employs an electrical meter to convert a variable electrical response from a sensor into a representation of the proportion of said selected components, wherein the improvement comprises a sensor that includEs a generally rectangular housing of greater longitudinal length than lateral width and vertical thickness, a generally cylindrical cavity formed at one longitudinal end of the housing and open upwardly with its cylindrical axis oriented vertically, a reservoir formed along the bottom of the full length of the housing in open communication with the bottom of said cavity, an electrolyte in said reservoir, said cavity having three portions of different diameters progressively reducing in the downward direction to provide two upwardly facing shoulders located respectively between the upper and middle portions and between the middle and lower portions, a pair of passageways in said housing with one leading from each said shoulder to the end of the housing having said cavity, a separate electrically conductive wire extending through each said passageway and having a portion of one end laying on the respective shoulder, the other end of each said wire being connected to a terminal for conducting the variable electrical response to the electrical meter, a pair of flat circular electrodes of dissimilar metals in mesh form, one said electrode having a diameter equal to the size of the lower shoulder and being removably positioned thereon in contact with the said wire portion thereon, liquid absorbent means positioned on said one electrode and filling said middle cylindrical portion of said cavity up to said upper shoulder and being saturated with electrolyte from said reservoir, the other said electrode having a larger diameter equal to the size of said upper shoulder and being removably positioned thereon in contact with the said wire portion thereon and enclosing the said liquid absorbent means, a membrane covering the upper surface of said other electrode, a ring removably positioned in said upper portion of said cavity and having an outside diameter to fit said upper portion and a vertical height slightly less than the height of said upper portion, a closure means removably mounted above and retaining said ring in said cavity to form a chamber within said ring between said membrane and closure means, means sealing said ring to said membrane and said closure means, inlet and outlet connections on said housing and mating ports in said housing and ring for communicating said connections with said chamber for passing the fluidic mixture through said chamber from said inlet connection to said outlet connection for the electrolytic cell formed by said electrodes and electrolyte to sense the components of the fluidic mixture passing through said chamber and produce the variable electrical response.

Claim 20

In an apparatus for analyzing the presence of one or more selected components of a fluidic mixture which apparatus employs an electrical meter to convert a variable electrical response from a sensor into a representation of the proportion of said selected components, wherein the improvement comprises a sensor that includEs a generally rectangular housing of greater longitudinal length than lateral width and vertical thickness, a generally cylindrical cavity formed at one longitudinal end of the housing and open upwardly with its cylindrical axis oriented vertically, a reservoir formed along the bottom of the full length of the housing in open communication with the bottom of said cavity, an electrolyte in said reservoir, said cavity having three portions of different diameters progressively reducing in the downward direction to provide two upwardly facing shoulders located respectively between the upper and middle portions and between the middle and lower portions, a pair of passageways in said housing with one leading from each said shoulder to the end of the housing having said cavity, a separate electrically conductive wire extending through each said passageway and having a portion of one end laying on the respective shoulder, the other end of each said wire being connected to a terminal for conducting the variable electrical response to the electrical meter, a pair of flat circular electrodes of dissimilar metals in mesh form, one said electrode having a diameter equal to the size of the lower shoulder and being removably positioned thereon in contact with the said wire portion thereon, liquid absorbent means positioned on said one electrode and filling said middle cylindrical portion of said cavity up to said upper shoulder and being saturated with electrolyte from said reservoir, the other said electrode having a larger diameter equal to the size of said upper shoulder and being removably positioned thereon in contact with the said wire portion thereon and enclosing the said liquid absorbent means, a membrane covering the upper surface of said other electrode, a ring removably positioned in said upper portion of said cavity and having an outside diameter to fit said upper portion and a vertical height slightly less than the height of said upper portion, a closure means removably mounted above and retaining said ring in said cavity to form a chamber within said ring between said membrane and closure means, means sealing said ring to said membrane and said closure means, inlet and outlet connections on said housing and mating ports in said housing and ring for communicating said connections with said chamber for passing the fluidic mixture through said chamber from said inlet connection to said outlet connection for the electrolytic cell formed by said electrodes and electrolyte to sense the components of the fluidic mixture passing through said chamber and produce the variable electrical response.

Claim 21

The apparatus of claim 15 wherein a vent opening from said reservoir is formed in said housing on the upper side and at the opposite longitudinal end from said cavity, and a semiperimeable closure in said vent opening for allowing the escape of gas and pressure equalization but inhibiting the loss of electrolyte.

Claim 22

The apparatus of claim 16 wherein an absorbent means substantially fills said reservoir and is saturated with said electrolyte.

Claim 23

The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said closure means includes an impervious circular plate fitting over said ring and a snap ring removably positioned thereabove and engaging said housing cavity to retain said plate in position.

Claim 24

The apparatus of claim 18 wherein an annular spring washer is positioned between said ring and plate to resiliently retain the assembly of electrodes, absorbent means, and ring in said cavity.

Claim 25

The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said sealing means comprise a pair of O-ring seals with one positioned above and the other below said ring, and said ring has chamfers on the external upper and lower extremities for receiving said O-rings.

Claim 26

The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said ports in said housing and ring are of reduced size to provide a restriction to the flow of fluidic mixture to said chamber to minimize the effects of pressure changes in said fluidic mixture.