Instrument for measurement of vacuum in sealed thin wall packets

Patent · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1993

OSTI ID:868943

Kollie, Thomas G ^[1]; Thacker, Louis H ^[2]; Fine, H Alan ^[3]

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1. 117 Oklahoma Ave., Oak Ridge, TN 37830
2. 3727 Frostwood Rd., Knoxville, TN 37921
3. 949 Wishbone Cir., Lexington, KY 40502

An instrument for the measurement of vacuum within sealed packets 12, the packets 12 having a wall 14 sufficiently thin that it can be deformed by the application of an external vacuum to small area thereof. The instrument has a detector head 18 for placement against the deformable wall 14 of the packet to apply the vacuum in a controlled manner to accomplish a limited deformation or lift of the wall 14, with this deformation or lift monitored by the application of light as via a bifurcated light pipe 20. Retro-reflected light through the light pipe is monitored with a photo detector 26. An abrupt change (e.g., a decrease) of retro-reflected light signals the wall movement such that the value of the vacuum applied through the head 18 to achieve this initiation of movement is equal to the vacuum Within the packet 12. In a preferred embodiment a vacuum reference plate 44 is placed beneath the packet 12 to ensure that no deformation occurs on the reverse surface 16 of the packet. A packet production line model is also described.

• Research Organization: LOCKHEED MARTIN ENRGY SYST INC
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• Assignee: Kollie, Thomas G. (117 Oklahoma Ave., Oak Ridge, TN 37830);Thacker, Louis H. (3727 Frostwood Rd., Knoxville, TN 37921);Fine, H. Alan (949 Wishbone Cir., Lexington, KY 40502)
• Patent Number(s): US 5249454
• OSTI ID: 868943
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/73/356/
12
14
16
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26
44
abrupt
accomplish
achieve
application
applied
apply
beneath
bifurcated
change
controlled
controlled manner
decrease
deformable
deformable wall
deformation
deformation occurs
deformed
described
detector
detector head
embodiment
ensure
equal
external
head
initiation
instrument
lift
light
light pipe
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light signals
limited
line
manner
measurement
model
monitored
movement
occurs
packet
packets
photo
pipe
placed
placement
plate
preferred
preferred embodiment
production
production line
reference
reflected light
retro-reflected
reverse
sealed
sealed packets
signals
sufficiently
surface
vacuum
value
via
wall
wall packets