Patent ID: 7667476
Filing Date: 2010-02-23
Classification: F25B,F25D

Abstract:
1. A measuring module for measuring and testing an object, the module comprising: a measuring chamber, said measuring chamber structured for holding the object to be measured within an evacuated environment; a refrigerating chamber, said refrigerating chamber being physically separated from said measuring chamber and structured for evacuation independently of said measuring chamber; a contact element having a first contact surface and a second contact surface, the object to be measured being thermally connected to said first contact surface during measurement and/or test operation, wherein said contact element consists essentially of a material having high thermal conductivity, said first and second contact surfaces being located on opposite sides of said contact element, wherein said contact element constitutes part of a separating wall between said measuring chamber and said refrigerating chamber, said contact element facilitating local thermal connection between said measuring chamber and said refrigerating chamber; at least one cold head disposed within said refrigerating chamber, said at least one cold head disposed, structured, and dimensioned for thermal connection to said second contact surface of said contact element, wherein said cold head and said contact element are thermally conductively connected during the measurement and/or testing operation with said refrigerating chamber evacuated; a cryo-refrigerator having at least one cold stage, said cryo-refrigerator disposed within said refrigerating chamber for cooling said cold head down to cryogenic temperatures; means for thermally insulating said contact element from an outside wall of the measuring module; and a contacting mechanism, said contacting mechanism structured and dimensioned to establish, greatly increase, interrupt, and greatly reduce heat flow between said cold head and said contact element in a hermetically sealed condition of the measuring module.