# US 2014/0197323 A1 · Enclosure pressure relief mechanism inherent to case design > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0197323 A1 - Document ID: US20140197323A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/743,535 - Filed: 2013-01-17 - Published: 2014-07-17 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-17 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Applicants: General Electric Company - Inventors: Edward Joseph Baus; Joseph Paul Constant - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140197323A1 ## CPC - G01T 1/185: with ionisation chamber arrangements - H01J 47/02: Ionisation chambers - G01T: MEASUREMENT OF NUCLEAR OR X-RADIATION (radiation analysis of materials, mass spectrometry G01N23/00; tubes for determining the presence, intensity, density or energy of radiation or particles H01J47/00) - H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H) ## Abstract A radiation detection assembly includes an ionization chamber for detecting radiation. The ionization chamber includes a volume of pressurized gas. An exterior enclosure houses the ionization chamber within an interior volume. The exterior enclosure includes a frangible section. A relief assembly defines a gas flow path from the ionization chamber to the frangible section of the exterior enclosure. The frangible section releases pressure from within the ionization chamber when the pressurized gas within the ionization chamber exceeds a predetermined pressure such that at least some of the pressurized gas flows through the relief assembly and through the frangible section of the exterior enclosure. The pressurized gas is then released to an exterior of the exterior enclosure. A method of reducing pressure within a radiation detection assembly is also provided. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A radiation detection assembly including: an ionization chamber for detecting radiation, the ionization chamber including a volume of pressurized gas; an exterior enclosure housing the ionization chamber within an interior volume, the exterior enclosure including a frangible section; and a relief assembly defining a gas flow path from the ionization chamber to the frangible section of the exterior enclosure, wherein the frangible section releases pressure from within the ionization chamber when the pressurized gas within the ionization chamber exceeds a predetermined pressure such that at least some of the pressurized gas flows through the relief assembly and through the frangible section of the exterior enclosure whereupon the pressurized gas is released to an exterior of the exterior enclosure. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The radiation detection assembly of claim 1, wherein the frangible section is molded into the exterior enclosure. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The radiation detection assembly of claim 1, wherein the relief assembly is positioned within the interior volume of the exterior enclosure. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The radiation detection assembly of claim 1, wherein the relief assembly is sealed with respect to the exterior enclosure such that the pressurized gas is limited from flowing into the interior volume of the exterior enclosure. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The radiation detection assembly of claim 4, wherein the relief assembly is sealed with respect to the ionization chamber. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The radiation detection assembly of claim 1, wherein the exterior enclosure includes a sealing projection that extends inwardly from an inner surface of the exterior enclosure into the interior volume. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The radiation detection assembly of claim 6, wherein the relief assembly includes a shoulder disposed at an outer surface of the relief assembly. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The radiation detection assembly of claim 7, wherein the sealing projection engages the shoulder and forms a seal with respect to the shoulder. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The radiation detection assembly of claim 8, wherein the shoulder includes an elastically deformable material. ### Claim 10 A radiation detection assembly including: an ionization chamber for detecting radiation, the ionization chamber including a volume of pressurized gas; an exterior enclosure housing the ionization chamber within an interior volume, the exterior enclosure including a frangible section molded into the exterior enclosure; and a relief assembly defining a gas flow path from the ionization chamber to the frangible section of the exterior enclosure, the relief assembly being positioned within the interior volume and forming a seal between each of the exterior enclosure and the ionization chamber, wherein the frangible section releases pressure from within the ionization chamber when the pressurized gas within the ionization chamber exceeds a predetermined pressure such that at least some of the pressurized gas flows through the relief assembly and through the frangible section of the exterior enclosure whereupon the pressurized gas is released to an exterior of the exterior enclosure. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The radiation detection assembly of claim 10, wherein the exterior enclosure includes a sealing projection that extends inwardly from an inner surface of the exterior enclosure into the interior volume. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The radiation detection assembly of claim 11, wherein the relief assembly includes a shoulder disposed at an outer surface of the relief assembly. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The radiation detection assembly of claim 12, wherein the sealing projection engages the shoulder and forms a seal with respect to the shoulder. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The radiation detection assembly of claim 13, wherein the shoulder includes an elastically deformable material. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The radiation detection assembly of claim 11, wherein the frangible section includes a plurality of insets that project into a wall of the exterior enclosure. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The radiation detection assembly of claim 15, wherein the insets are separated from the exterior of the exterior enclosure by a frangible wall. ### Claim 17 A method of reducing pressure within a radiation detection assembly, the method including the steps of: providing an ionization chamber including a volume of pressurized gas; providing an exterior enclosure that houses the ionization chamber within an interior volume, the exterior enclosure including a frangible section; providing a relief assembly that defines a gas flow path from the ionization chamber to the frangible section of the exterior enclosure; and reducing pressure within the ionization chamber by breaching the frangible section when the pressurized gas within the ionization chamber exceeds a predetermined pressure such that the pressurized gas flows through the frangible section. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the frangible section is molded into the exterior enclosure. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein prior to the step of reducing pressure within the ionization chamber, the frangible section is unbroken and prevents the passage of air from an exterior of the exterior enclosure through the frangible section. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the frangible section includes a frangible wall that has a thickness that is less than a thickness of a wall of the exterior enclosure.