Global Patent Index - EP 0020730 A4

EP 0020730 A4 19810515 - METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DISTINGUISHING MATERIALS BY THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY.

Title (en)

METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DISTINGUISHING MATERIALS BY THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY.

Title (de)

VERFAHREN UND VORRICHTUNG ZUM UNTERSCHEIDEN VON MATERIALIEN MITTELS WÄRMELEITFÄHIGKEIT.

Title (fr)

METHODE ET DISPOSITIF POUR DISTINGUER DES MATERIAUX PAR CONDUCTIVITE THERMIQUE.

Publication

EP 0020730 A4 19810515 (EN)

Application

EP 80900143 A 19800714

Priority

US 97464978 A 19781229

Abstract (en)

[origin: WO8001414A1] Natural diamonds can be distinguished from simulated diamonds in seconds by merely touching a hand held probe to the gems. The tip of the probe includes a rounded gem contacting head (46) of high thermal conductivity and low thermal mass. The head is preferably of gold-coated copper. It is supported on a high thermal resistivity neck (52) extending from a large spring biased thermal mass (54). The head supports a thermistor heater element (48) and a thermistor temperature sensing element (50) within an annular space. Pulses of power are cyclically applied to the heater element to produce a predetermined amount of heat flow from the probe through the sample gem. The resulting change in temperature of the contacting head is determined by sensing the change in resistance of the sensing thermistor and weighting that change by the sensed thermistor resistance. The weighting function is carried out by a gain-controlled amplifier. The change-in-temperature signal controls a meter and LEDs which indicate whether the gem is natural or simulated.

IPC 1-7

G01N 25/18

IPC 8 full level

G01N 25/18 (2006.01); G01N 33/38 (2006.01)

CPC (source: EP)

G01N 25/18 (2013.01); G01N 33/389 (2024.05)

Designated contracting state (EPC)

CH DE FR GB SE

DOCDB simple family (publication)

WO 8001414 A1 19800710; EP 0020730 A1 19810107; EP 0020730 A4 19810515; IL 58884 A0 19800331; IL 58884 A 19850331; JP S56500100 A 19810205

DOCDB simple family (application)

US 7901052 W 19791126; EP 80900143 A 19800714; IL 5888479 A 19791205; JP 50021180 A 19791126