Opinion ID: 3166799
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Gilliam

Text: U.S. Patent No. 5,107,698 (“Gilliam”) describes methods and devices for detecting leaks in fluid systems via smoke. J.A. 972–82. Figure 3 of Gilliam is depicted below. Gilliam fig.3. “Smoke-generating assembly 35 includes [air] pump 15, thermistor 8, spike-protecting diode 9, switch 10, and ceramic heating element 11. A smoke-producing fluid is REDLINE DETECTION, LLC v. STAR ENVIROTECH, INC. 5 poured into chamber 20 through filler port 6.” Id. col. 6 ll. 20–23. Smoke is circulated throughout the system by air pump 15. If heating element 11 becomes “submerged, vaporization is prevented and the fluid is merely heated and eventually reaches it boiling point.” Id. col. 6 ll. 38– 41. When the heating element 11 becomes sufficiently hot, the smoke-producing fluid vaporizes within chamber 40. The generated smoke then passes through “conduit 22 into the vacuum system connected thereto for leak testing purposes.” Id. col 8 ll. 11–13. Thus, the “[s]moke generating fluid should preferably be non-flammable and non-toxic.” Id. col. 5 ll. 67–68. Because temperature control of the heating element is important to this prior art, Gilliam discloses several preferred embodiments for controlling temperature. See, e.g., id. col. 7 ll. 1–4, 14–18, 26–28. Additionally, the “spark-arrestor 3 prevents sparks or even flames from entering a vehicle’s engine, thereby causing an explosion. Flames could be generated . . . if a flammable fluid mixture was inadvertently created in chamber 20.” Id. col. 7 ll. 55–59.