Appeal No. 2001-0379
Application No. 09/141,891 Page 2
BACKGROUND
Appellant’s invention relates to an apparatus and method for
detecting flammable gas in a gas mixture. An understanding of
the invention can be derived from a reading of exemplary claims 1
and 11, which are reproduced as follows:
1. An apparatus for detecting a flammable gas in a gas
mixture comprising:
a chamber having an inlet, an outlet and a cavity contained
therein, said cavity being equipped with an ignitor means and a
temperature sensor,
an air pump having an inlet connected to the outlet of said
chamber such that said inlet of the air pump is in fluid
communication with the inlet of said chamber enabling a gas
mixture to flow therethrough at a speed of not less than 5
meter/second, and
a valve means for shutting off said inlet to said chamber
when said ignitor means ignites a flammable gas in said gas
mixture and said temperature sensor senses a temperature rise of
at least 10"C.
11. A method for detecting a flammable gas in a gas mixture
comprising the steps of:
providing a reactor chamber having an inlet, an outlet and a
cavity contained therein,
positioning an ignitor means and a temperature sensor in
said cavity,
flowing a gas mixture through said inlet of said reactor
chamber into said cavity;
igniting said gas mixture by said ignitor means, and
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