The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 17, 1981
Filed:
Mar. 01, 1979
Thomas J Michel, Hialeah, FL (US);
Santek, Inc., Hollywood, FL (US);
Abstract
A probe operable in conjunction with an electrometer having a high input impedance to provide an instrument for measuring air ion flux density. The probe structure is such that its presence in the atmosphere in which a measurement is being carried out will not give rise to perturbations in the localized electric field and therefore has no perceptible effect on the accuracy of measurement. The probe is constituted by a metal target to which the ions give up their charge, the target being supported at the end of a barrel of dielectric material by a conductor attached thereto and extending axially through the barrel to a contact at the rear of the barrel which is connected to the line of a shielded coaxial cable which couples the target to the input terminal of a grounded electrometer, the shield of the cable also being grounded. The surface of the barrel is coated with a layer of semi-conductive material that makes contact at the lower end of the barrel with the grounded cable shield. The semi-conductive layer on the barrel surrounding the target conductor therein provides a controlled leakage path extending between the target and the grounded cable shield that approximates the characteristics of the atmosphere and the input impedance of the electrometer whereby the presence of the probe in the atmosphere introduces substantially no discontinuity in the localized electric field.