METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LEAK TESTING CONTAINERS

摘要

Close containers which are filled with a consumer product are tested on leakiness by means of mass spectrometry (10) in that an impact (AN(P)) by the consumer product (P) upon the surrounding atmosphere (A(P)) of the container to be leak tested is monitored by the mass spectrometry (10).

主权项

1. A method for evaluating a quality of at least one of a container and of a consumer product filled in said container comprising the step of monitoring presence in the surrounding of said container of at least one analyte that is not helium, the material composition thereof being dependent from said consumer product and exploiting a result of said monitoring as a quality indication of said at least one of said container and of said consumer product, said monitoring comprising mass spectrometry by means of a mass spectrometry arrangement with an input line, wherein the method comprises inline testing up to each container of a stream of said containers and further comprising:
moving relative to said spectrometry arrangement subsequent containers of said stream at least partly within respective test chambers and controllably time multiplexing an operational gas stream connection, from the interiors of said test chambers to said input line of said arrangement.