Alloy Identification Device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018045676-A1
Application number	US-201715650003-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 14, 2017
Priority date	Aug 15, 2016
Publication date	Feb 15, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electrochemical metal alloy identification device employing electrolytes to measure and identify different potentials of alloys is presented. This includes physical structure, disposables, electrical systems, control circuitry, and algorithms to identify alloys.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An alloy identification device comprising:
a housing; a carrier configured with multiple compartments configured to be received within the housing, the housing and carrier further including locking and unlocking mechanisms to lock the housing and carrier together and to allow the housing and carrier to be unlocked, wherein in the unlocked state the carrier is removable from the housing; and multiple cartridges, each cartridge configured to be removably inserted within one of the multiple compartments of the carrier.

2 . The device of claim 1 wherein the cartridges are configured to be interchangeable within each of the compartments of the carrier.

3 . The device of claim 1 wherein each of the cartridges include a reservoir designed to hold a fluid.

4 . The device of claim 3 wherein the fluid in each of the cartridges is an electrolyte.

5 . The device of claim 4 wherein the each of the multiple cartridges include an electrolyte which is distinct from other ones of the multiple cartridges.

6 . The device of claim 4 wherein at least one of the electrolytes associated with the multiple cartridges is a customized electrolyte.

7 . The device of claim 1 wherein each of the cartridges include:
(i) a body portion having an interior area, a first end opening, a second end opening, and a slot portion within an outer surface of the body portion,
(ii) a reservoir formed in a configuration to fit within the interior area of the body portion through the second end opening of the body portion, wherein the reservoir is formed of a material having absorptive characteristics including a capability of absorbing a fluid,
(iii) an electrode component sized and inserted in operational contact with the first end opening, the electrode having an upper portion with an open area therein and an arm portion extending from the upper portion into the slot portion within an outer surface of the body portion;
(iv) a tip constructed of a porous material inserted into the open area of the upper portion of the electrode component and into the interior of the body portion, wherein at least a portion of the tip is in operational contact with the reservoir, and
(v) a cartridge cap inserted into contact with the second end opening of the body portion.

8 . The device according to claim 1 further including an electrical system configured to provide electrical connection between the body, the carrier and the cartridges.

9 . The device of claim 8 further wherein the electrical system includes multiple distinct electrical circuits each associated with one of the multiple distinct electrolytes, wherein each distinct electrical circuit generates distinct output signals.

10 . The device of claim 9 wherein the handle includes intelligent computing components configured to receive the multiple distinct electrical signals and to generate an output to identify an alloy being tested, wherein the intelligent computing components store algorithms which are used to generate at least one of classification algorithms and look-up tables for the alloy identification.

11 . The device according to claim 1 wherein the electrical system includes the arm portions of the electrodes in a movable operational contact with a portion of electrical connection lines extending through the carrier.

12 . The device according to claim 1 wherein a stationary ground extends from the carrier to define a distance between a surface of an alloy being tested and the device.

13 . The device according to claim 1 wherein the device is a handheld device.

14 . The device of claim 1 wherein the locking and unlocking mechanisms of the housing and carrier are configured for tool-less operation.

15 . A method of operating an electrochemical identification device comprising:
providing a housing with a receiving area; providing a carrier with multiple separately connected compartments; providing multiple disposable cartridges including, providing a body portion having an interior area, a first end opening, a second end opening, and a slot portion within an outer surface of the body portion, inserting an upper portion of an electrode component into the first end opening of the body portion bending an arm portion of the electrode component into the slot portion formed in the outer surface of the body portion, inserting a tip into the first end opening of the body portion, wherein the tip and upper portion of the electrode component form an engaged interference fit, inserting a reservoir in the second end opening of the body portion, until the reservoir comes into contact with a portion of the tip, providing an electrolyte to the reservoir, wherein the reservoir is saturated with the electrolyte, and placing a cap over and in contact with the second end opening; inserting the multiple disposable cartridges into the multiple compartments of the carrier; and locking the carrier into the receiving area of the housing.

16 . The method according to claim 15 further including loading the multiple cartridges each with electrolytes distinct from each other.

17 . The method of claim 15 further providing an electrical system configured to provide electrical connection between the body, the carrier and the cartridges.

18 . The method of claim 15 further including providing multiple distinct electrical circuits each associated with one of the multiple distinct electrolytes, wherein each distinct electrical circuit generates distinct output signals.

19 . The method according to claim 18 further including combining the multiple distinct electrical signals to generate an output to identify an alloy being tested.

20 . The method according to claim 15 wherein the electrical system includes the arm portions of the electrodes in a movable operational contact with a portion of electrical connection lines extending through the carrier.

Assignees

• Palo Alto Res Ct Inc

Inventors

• Johnson David Mathew
• Bao Jianer
• Sheridan Martin J
• Vedharathinam Vedasri
• Paulson Christopher
• Saha Bhaskar
• Rivest Jessica Louis Baker

Classifications

• G01N27/423 Primary

  Coulometry · CPC title

• C01F17/276

  Nitrates · CPC title

• G01N33/2028

  Metallic constituents · CPC title

• C22C9/00

  Alloys based on copper · CPC title

• G01N27/4168 Primary

  Oxidation-reduction potential, e.g. for chlorination of water (water analysis G01N33/18) · CPC title