Gas mixing device and gas analyzer making use of the same

Claim 1

A gas mixing device for mixing a plurality of gases, comprising: a substrate having a plurality of grooves formed thereon by etching including a plurality of inlet grooves and at least one outlet groove, each of said inlet grooves being branched into a plurality of gas passage grooves, and each of said at least one outlet groove being connected with at least two of said inlet grooves through said gas passage grooves, and said inlet grooves and said at least one outlet groove having dimensions of cross-section greater than said gas passage grooves, and said gas passage grooves having width and depth dimensions that are smaller than 1 mm; a plate having a flat smooth surface, a plurality of inlet ports each communicating with a respective one of said inlet grooves and through each of which a gas to be mixed is introduced from respective gas sources, and at least one outlet port which is to be communicated with a respective said at least one outlet groove and through which a gas mixture is discharged, said plate being bonded at said flat smooth surface to said substrate to define therebetween gas passages which have predetermined flow resistances and are constituted by said gas passage grooves, whereby gases to be mixed together are introduced from said inlet ports into said at least one outlet groove and are mixed together into the gas mixture; and pressure regulating means for each of said inlet ports for maintaining the pressures of a plurality of gases to be supplied to said inlet grooves substantially at the same level.