Fluid analyzer construction and housing

United States Patent im

Staab et ai.

[li] 4,287,764 [45] Sep. 8, 1981

[54] FLUID ANALYZER CONSTRUCTION AND HOUSING

[75] Inventors: Joachim Staab; Willy Apel, both of Frankfurt am Main; Heinz Wolf, Kronberg, all of Fed. Rep. of Germany

[73] Assignee: Hartmann & Braun

Aktiengesellschaft, Frankfurt, Fed.
Rep. of Germany

[21] Appl. No.: 126,730

[22] Filed: Mar. 3, 1980

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data

Mar. 2, 1979 [DE] Fed. Rep. of Germany 2908169

[51] Int. CV GO ID 11/24; H05K 5/00;

G01R 1/04

[52] U.S. CI 73/431; 361/391;

361/415

[58] Field of Search 73/431, 23, 53;

361/380, 391, 393, 394, 395, 415

[56] References Cited

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

2,903,626 9/1959 Nye et al 361/395

3,276,241 10/1966 Hubner 73/23

3,842,679 10/1974 Iwao et al 73/431 X

FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS

1398601 3/1965 France 361/395

Primary Examiner—James J. Gill

Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Smyth, Pavitt, Siegemund & Martella

[57] ABSTRACT

Two similarly dimensioned cases are preferably placed one on top of the other, with air space and electrical connections between them. The upper case has a door with a window and contains a slide-out and swing-out frame holding the indicating instrument and PC boards. The power supply is on the rear wall. The lower case has a slide-out tray, a door is hinged on the front edge, and on a horizontal axis. The tray supports the analyzer proper with incorporated preamplifiers. Both doors have sealing strips on the inside and can be bolted.

10 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures

i 4,287,

FLUID ANALYZER CONSTRUCTION AND
HOUSING

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 5

The present invention relates to an apparatus for analyzing gases, liquids, or fluids; and more particularly, the invention relates to improvements of analyzers such as described in the operating manual for the unit traded under the designation "42 CG 58-1 en" by 10 the assignee corporation, Hartmann & Braun Mess- Und Regeltechnik.

The known apparatus includes an analyzer with preamplifier mounted in a case, but being separated from the requisite power supply and other circuit elements by 15 means of a horizontal partition; the analyzer parts are mounted on a plate which is contained in the lower compartment; this plate extends in approximately the center plane of that compartment and is mounted therein in drawer-like fashion for ease of access. The 20 preamplifier is also mounted to that plate.

The upper compartment has a hinged front panel carrying on its inside additional electric circuit elements, while the power supply proper and connection plugs, etc., are mounted to the back of that upper com- 25 partment. A removable (vertical) cover plate separates the components mounted on the hinged front (when closed) and those mounted to the rear. The lower compartment is also normally closed by a door. The two doors can be sealed and bolted shut. 30

The upper door or panel derives its name from the fact that it carries also an indicating instrument. A little flap is hinged to that door, covering (protecting) manual control knobs. The unit also includes a thermostatcontrolled, radial fan in order to obtain a uniform tern- 35 perature for all parts of the analyzer in the lower compartment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide an 40 improved mounting structure and enclosure for analyzers of the type referred to above; the improvements relate in particular to maintenance and ease of operation.

It is a particular object of the present invention to 45 improve the mounting and assembly of a gas or liquid analyzer proper with an incorporated preamplifier; a power supply means; an indicating instrument; and electric circuit elements operatively inteconnecting the power supply, the analyzer, and the indicating instru- 50 ment.

In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is suggested to provide two preferably similarly dimensioned cases. One case holds just the analyzing equipment proper with incorporated pre- 55 amplifier and being mounted on a slide-out carrier or tray on whose front edge the door for that case is hingedly mounted for hinging on a horizontal axis. The other case has a hinged door, preferably with a window, and contains a slide-out and hinged, swing-out frame for 60 PC boards and the instrument. This other case contains also the power supply unit with a terminal block which preferably serves also as hinge support as well as for supporting one side of the frame as to sliding in and out. Additional slide rails are provided on the opposite wall 65 of this case.

The two cases can be placed separately, or one on top of the other, but with air space in between for thermal

764

2

isolation. At least some walls of the cases are provided with cooling ribs, and the power supply is preferably mounted on its own heat sink.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view from the front and the top of a two-case analyzer housed in accordance with the preferrred embodiment of the invention, showing an open door and certain parts pulled out; and

FIG. 2 is a cross-section of the equipment shown in FIG. 1, the section plane being taken directly underneath the top of the upper case.

Proceeding now to the detailed description of the drawings, the figures show a case construction for a fluid analyzer which construction is comprised of a lower case 2 and an upper case 3 of box-like constructions (parallelepiped). Each case or box has a wide top and corresponding bottom, side walls (such as wall 37 of case 3) and a rear wall, but is open at the front. The two cases are of similar dimensions and interconnected by screws or bolts 1. Spacer pieces and sealing elements at the bolted connector are preferably interposed between the top of case 2 and the bottom of case 3, the spacers leave an air space in between.

The analyzer proper, designated by numeral 4, is contained in lower case 2; a preamplifier 5 for the analyzer is structurally combined therewith as an incorporated end element. All of the other circuit elements and components are contained in the upper case, 3. A plugin type connection 46 leads from a suitable terminal of analyzer 4 to a terminal connector (not shown) in the top of lower case 2. That terminal connector may plug in directly in a terminal connector 41 in the bottom of the uper case, 3. This terminal connector 41 is visible in FIG. 2 as that figure shows a view onto that bottom. The plugs or connectors, such as 41 and as provided in both cases, are gas-tightly sealed in the bottom and top of, respectively, cases 3 and 2.

The analyzer 4 with preamplifier 5 is mounted on a carrier plate 6 or pull-out tray which, in turn, is held on a telescopic rail construction 7 and 8, to be pulled out of, or pushed into, the case or compartment 2. The plate, as so mounted, is restricted to a limit position for preventing complete pull-out; convenient stops (not shown) are provided for the purpose.

A front door 9 for the lower compartment of case 2 is hinged to the front edge of plate 6, for pivoting on a horizontal axis and to be folded down into the position shown in FIG. 1. The door, 9, thus becomes generally horizontally aligned with the support structure for carrier plate 6. This front door, as so folded down, can be used as a tray on an auxiliary table during maintenance operations. Particularly in stations in which such a device and unit is permanently installed, the folded-down door serves as a convenient work table, or the like.

Door 9 can be folded up, and upon pushing plate 6 into case 2, the inside edge portion of the door will abut flanges, such as 2, around the front opening of the case, whereby particularly threaded bores 11 are aligned in pairs. Bolts can be inserted to tighten the door to the case. A sealing strip 10 along the inside edge surface of the door seals the interior of the case when the door is bolted down by easy to remove screws.

As stated, the other components of the device are contained in upper case 3. A frame 14 is hinged generally in or inside the upper case 3, and printed circuit boards 12 are inserted side by side in that frame. The