초록

A hydrogen gas indicator system that provides various substrate materials (4) that support hydrogen gas sensor (1) materials with discrete indicia (7) that provide information separate from any change in the physical properties of the hydrogen gas sensor itself.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A hydrogen gas indicator, comprising:a. a substrate material; b. an atomic hydrogen gas sensor supported by said substrate material wherein said atomic hydrogen gas sensor is selected from the group consisting of vanadium oxide, tungsten oxide, molybdenum oxide, yttriun oxide, and combinations th

1. A hydrogen gas indicator, comprising:a. a substrate material; b. an atomic hydrogen gas sensor supported by said substrate material wherein said atomic hydrogen gas sensor is selected from the group consisting of vanadium oxide, tungsten oxide, molybdenum oxide, yttriun oxide, and combinations thereof; c. a catalyst material coupled to said atomic hydrogen gas sensor, wherein said catalyst material converts molecular hydrogen gas to atomic hydrogen gas sensed by said atomic hydrogen gas sensor; d. a gas diffusion barrier coupled to said catalyst material wherein said gas diffusion barrier is selectively permeable to molecular hydrogen gas; and e. discrete indicia operably responsive to said atomic hydrogen gas sensor. 2. A hydrogen gas indicator as described in claim 1, wherein said substrate material comprises a friable substrate material.3. A hydrogen gas indicator as described in claim 1, wherein said catalyst material is selected from the group consisting of platinum, palladium, rhodium, nickel, and alloys of these materials with other metals.4. A hydrogen gas indicator as described in claim 1, wherein said substrate material comprises a particulate material.5. A hydrogen gas indicator as described in claim 1, wherein said particulate material comprises particles used as pigments.6. A hydrogen gas indicator as described in claim 1, wherein said discrete indicia operably responsive to said atomic hydrogen gas sensor comprises symbols or characters applied to a surface using a liquid substance containing said particles used as pigments.7. A hydrogen gas indicator as described in claim 4, further comprising a containment element at least partially filled with said particulate material.8. A hydrogen gas indicator as described in claim 1, wherein said substrate material further comprises:i. at least a portion of a first surface having an adhesive layer; and ii. at least at least a portion of a second surface that supports said hydrogen gas sensor. 9. A hydrogen gas indicator as described in claim 1, wherein said substrate material further comprises:i. at least one surface separably joined to a disposable material; and ii. at least One surface that supports said hydrogen gas sensor. 10. A hydrogen gas indicator as described in claim 9, further comprising an adhesive layer coupled to at least a portion of said at least one surface separably joined to said disposable material.11. A hydrogen gas indicator as described in claim 10, wherein said adhesive layer becomes operable upon separation of said at least one surface separably joined to said disposable material.12. A hydrogen gas indicator as described in claim 1, further comprising a holder element coupled to said substrate material.13. A hydrogen gas indicator as described in claim 12, further comprising at least one fastener element coupled to said holder element.14. A hydrogen gas indicator as described in claim 1, wherein said discrete indicia element are selected from the group consisting of symbols and alphabet characters.15. A hydrogen gas indicator, comprising:a. a friable substrate material; b. an atomic hydrogen gas sensor supported by said friable substrate material wherein said atomic hydrogen gas sensor is selected from the group consisting of vanadium oxide, tungsten oxide, molybdenum oxide, yttrium oxide, and combinations thereof; c. a catalyst material coupled to said atomic hydrogen gas sensor which converts molecular hydrogen gas to said atomic hydrogen gas sensed by said atomic hydrogen gas sensor; and d. a gas diffusion barrier coupled to said catalyst material, wherein said gas diffusion barrier is selectively permeable to molecular hydrogen gas. 16. A hydrogen gas indicator as described in claim 15, wherein said catalyst material is selected from the group consisting of platinum, palladium, rhodium, nickel, and alloys of these materials with other metals.17. A hydrogen gas indicator as described in claim 15, wherein said friable substrate material comprises particulate material used as pigments.18. A hydrogen gas indicator as described in claim 16, further comprising discrete indicia operably responsive to said atomic hydrogen gas sensor.19. A hydrogen gas indicator as described in claim 18, wherein said discrete indicia operably responsive to said atomic hydrogen gas sensor comprises symbols or characters applied to a surface using a liquid substance containing said particles used as pigments.20. A hydrogen gas indicator as described in claim 15, further comprising a containment element at least partially filled with particulate material generated from said friable material.21. A hydrogen gas indicator as described in claim 20, further comprising a holder element coupled to said containment element.22. A hydrogen gas indicator as described in claim 21, further comprising at least one fastener element coupled to said holder clement.23. A hydrogen gas indicator, comprising:a. a substrate material; b. an atomic hydrogen gas sensor supported by said substrate material, wherein said atomic hydrogen gas sensor reversibly switches from a first conduction state to a second conduction state in response to atomic hydrogen gas and wherein said atomic hydrogen gas sensor is selected from the group consisting of vanadium oxide, tungsten oxide, molybdenum oxide, yttrium oxide, and combinations thereof; c. a catalyst material that facilitates conversion of molecular hydrogen gas to said atomic hydrogen gas; d. a gas diffusion barrier coupled to said catalyst material, wherein said gas diffusion barrier is selectively permeable to molecular hydrogen gas; e. a circuit operably responsive to said atomic hydrogen gas sensor; and f. at least one discrete indicia element responsive to said circuit. 24. A method of indicating hydrogen gas, comprising the steps of:a. providing a hydrogen gas indicator, wherein said hydrogen gas indicator comprises: i. a substrate material; ii. an atomic hydrogen gas sensor supported by said substrate material wherein said atomic hydrogen gas sensor is selected from the group consisting of vanadium oxide, tungsten oxide, molybdenum oxide, yttrium oxide, and combinations thereof; iii. a catalyst material coupled to said atomic hydrogen gas sensor, wherein said catalyst material converts molecular hydrogen to atomic hydrogen gas sensed by said atomic hydrogen gas sensor; iv. a gas diffusion barrier coupled to said catalyst material, wherein said gas diffusion barrier is selectively permeable to said molecular hydrogen gas; b. detecting said molecular hydrogen gas with said hydrogen gas indicator; and c. indicating detection of said molecular hydrogen gas with discrete indicia operably coupled to said atomic hydrogen gas sensor. 25. A method of indicating hydrogen gas as described in claim 24, further comprising the step of generating hydrogen gas indicator particles.26. A method of indicating hydrogen gas as described in claim 25, wherein said step of generating hydrogen gas indicator particles comprises establishing hydrogen gas indicator particles having a size suitable as pigments within a liquid substance.27. A method of indicating hydrogen gas as described in claim 24, wherein said step of indicating detection of said molecular hydrogen gas with discrete indicia operably coupled to said atomic hydrogen gas sensor comprises applying symbols or characters to a surface of a second substrate material using said liquid substance containing said hydrogen gas indicator particles having a size suitable as pigments.28. A method of indicating hydrogen gas as described in claim 24, further comprising the step of establishing an adhesive layer on a portion of said surface of said second substrate material.29. A method of indicating hydrogen gas as described in claim 28, further comprising the step of separably joining said adhesive layer on said portion of said surface of said second substrate material to a disposable substrate material.30. A method of indicating hydrogen gas as described in claim 29, further comprising the steps of:a. separating said adhesive layer on said portion of said surface of said second substrate material from said disposable substrate material; b. maintaining said adhesive layer on said portion of said surface of said second substrate material; and c. adhering said second substrate material to a surface location with said adhesive layer. 31. A method of indicating hydrogen gas as described in claim 25, further comprising the step of transferring said hydrogen gas indicator particles to a containment element.32. A method or indicating hydrogen gas as described in claim 31, further comprising the step of passing a volume of a gas through said hydrogen gas indicator particles.33. A method of indicating hydrogen gas as described in claim 24, further comprising the steps of:a. coupling a circuit responsive to said atomic hydrogen gas sensor; b. generating an audible sound in response to detection of atomic hydrogen gas by said atomic hydrogen gas sensor.