# US 2016/0299235 A1 · Gas sensor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2016/0299235 A1 - Document ID: US20160299235A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/154,851 - Filed: 2016-05-13 - Published: 2016-10-13 - Earliest claimed: 2011-07-20 - Assignees: Corentium AS - Applicants: Corentium AS - Inventors: Bjorn Magne Sundal; Erlend Bolle; Koki Yoshioka - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20160299235A1 ## CPC - G01T 1/178: for measuring specific activity in the presence of other radioactive substances, e.g. natural, in the air or in liquids such as rain water - G01N 33/0009: {General constructional details of gas analysers, e.g. portable test equipment (devices for withdrawing samples in the gaseous state G01N1/22)} - G01T 7/00: Details of radiation-measuring instruments - Y10T 29/49826: Assembling or joining - 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) - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract A gas sensor instrument comprises a housing formed of two parts (102, 10) and a diffusion chamber inside the housing. The diffusion chamber is formed from two parts (106, 108) and at least one of the diffusion chamber parts is formed integrally with one of the housing parts. This allows a reduction in size of the instrument without compromising the size of the diffusion chamber. Additionally, a tubular projection is formed integrally with one of the housing parts to form part of a Faraday cage for shielding an amplifier circuit of the instrument. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-29. (canceled) ### Claim 30 An instrument comprising: a housing; and a printed circuit board disposed within the housing; wherein a housing part of the instrument comprises an integral tubular projection extending from the inner surface thereof towards the printed circuit board so as to surround at least one electronic component thereon, and wherein the inner surface and a rim of said integral tubular projection are electrically conductive so that the tubular projection forms part of a Faraday cage around said at least one component. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The instrument as claimed in claim 30, wherein the printed circuit board comprises at least first and second conductive layers, the second conductive layer being located further from the tubular projection than the first conductive layer, wherein the at least one component is mounted on the first conductive layer, and wherein one or more electrically conductive vias through the printed circuit board electrically connect the rim of the tubular projection with the second conductive layer. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) The instrument as claimed in claim 31, wherein a plurality of vias are positioned along a boundary which substantially surrounds the component. ### Claim 33 (depends on 31) The instrument as claimed in claim 31, wherein the one or more vias electrically connect one or more portions of the first layer with the second layer. ### Claim 34 (depends on 31) The instrument as claimed in claim 31, wherein the second layer is substantially continuous across the area defined by the rim of the tubular projection. ### Claim 35 (depends on 30) The instrument as claimed in claim 30, wherein the tubular projection includes a recess in the rim thereof which does not make contact with the printed circuit board. ### Claim 36 (depends on 30) The instrument as claimed in claim 30, wherein the integral tubular projection surrounds a plurality of components forming a circuit, preferably an amplifier circuit. ### Claim 37 (depends on 30) The instrument as claimed in claim 30, wherein the whole inside surface of the instrument housing is conductive. ### Claim 38 (depends on 30) The instrument as claimed in claim 30, wherein the instrument is a radon gas sensor. ### Claim 39 A method of shielding at least one electronic component on a printed circuit board disposed within an instrument housing, comprising: providing a housing part of the instrument with an integral tubular projection extending from the inner surface thereof; making the inner surface and a rim of said integral tubular projection electrically conductive; and engaging said integral tubular projection with said printed circuit board so as to surround said at least one electronic component such that the tubular projection forms part of a Faraday cage around said at least one component. ### Claim 40 (depends on 39) The method as claimed in claim 39, wherein the printed circuit board comprises at least first and second conductive layers, the second conductive layer being located further from the tubular projection than the first conductive layer, wherein the at least one component is mounted on the first conductive layer, and wherein the engaging step brings the rim of the tubular projection into electrical contact with one or more electrically conductive vias through the printed circuit board which electrically connect the rim of the tubular projection with the second conductive layer. ### Claim 41 (depends on 40) The method as claimed in claim 40, wherein a plurality of vias are positioned along a boundary which substantially surrounds the component. ### Claim 42 (depends on 40) The method as claimed in claim 40, wherein the one or more vias electrically connect one or more portions of the first layer with the second layer. ### Claim 43 (depends on 40) The method as claimed in claim 40, wherein the second layer is substantially continuous across the area defined by the rim of the tubular projection. ### Claim 44 (depends on 39) The method as claimed in claim 39, wherein the tubular projection includes a recess in the rim thereof which does not make contact with the printed circuit board during said engagement step. ### Claim 45 (depends on 39) The method as claimed in claim 39, wherein the integral tubular projection surrounds a plurality of components forming a circuit, preferably an amplifier circuit. ### Claim 46 (depends on 39) The method as claimed in claim 39, wherein the whole inside surface of the instrument housing is made conductive. ### Claim 47 (depends on 39) The method as claimed in claim 39, wherein the instrument is a radon gas sensor.