Shock detector

• US 10,359,453 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2016
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Birchtree LLC
• Original Assignee: Shock Alert, LLC
• Inventors: King, Jr., L. Herbert, Keeven, James, Vlasaty, Frank, Burns, Nathan C, McKinney, Justin
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hoai-An D.
• Application Number:
  US15/165,371
• Publication Number:
  US 20160299178A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,153 Days
• Field of Search: 324600, 324649, 324691, 324713
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 4/00 Electric lighting devices with self-contained electric batteries or cells
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/008 the casing being outside the housing of the lighting device
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0435 activated by remote control means
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/109 of gardens
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/00 Arrangements for measuring currents or voltages or for indicating presence or sign thereof G01R5/00 takes precedence; for measuring bioelectric currents or voltages A61B5/24
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/0084 measuring voltage only all subgroups of G01R19/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/0092 measuring current only all subgroups of G01R19/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/10 Measuring sum, difference or ratio
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/145 Indicating the presence of current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/155 Indicating the presence of voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/165 Indicating that current or voltage is either above or below a predetermined value or within or outside a predetermined range of values
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/1659 to indicate that the value is within or outside a predetermined range of values (window) G01R19/16514, G01R19/16519, G01R19/16528 and G01R19/16533 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 27/08 Measuring resistance by measuring both voltage and current
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 27/14 Measuring resistance by measuring current or voltage obtained from a reference source G01R27/16, G01R27/20, G01R27/22 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 27/22 Measuring resistance of fluids
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/06 using electric transmission , e.g. involving audible and visible signalling through the use of sound and light sources

Abstract

A shock detector having an electrical detector having a set of water immersible electrodes for detecting hazardous water conditions through the determination of the presence of either an electrical current in a body of water, a voltage in the body of water or a voltage gradient in the body of water and then providing an alert to the existence of hazardous electrical conditions in the body of water which in some cases is transmitted to a power source to shut off a power source thereby removing the hazardous water condition.

Claims

1. A portable shock detector for measuring voltages at various locations in a body of water including;

a housing, said shock detector housing floating on top of the body of water;

a first water electrode for immersing in the body of water with said first water-electrode connected to said portable shock detector;

a second water electrode for immersing in the body of water with said second water electrode connected to said portable shock detector;

a voltmeter located in said portable shock detector for measuring a voltage differential between the first water electrode and the second water electrode to determine if the voltage differential is in excess of a dangerous threshold so that a flow of current through the body of a person in the body of water could cause electric shock drowning; and

an alarm for alerting a person that the measured voltage between the first water electrode and the second water electrode has exceeded the dangerous threshold that can kill or injure a person who enters the water.

2. The portable shock detector of claim 1 wherein the portable shock detector includes a switch for turning off the alarm switch.

3. The portable shock detector of claim 1 wherein the portable shock detector monitors itself to send a signal in response to a deterioration of the performance of the shock detector.

4. The portable shock detector of claim 1 wherein the portable shock detector sends a signal to shut off a power source when the body of water contains a condition that can kill or injure a person who enters the water.

5. The portable shock detector of claim 1 including a battery for powering the portable shock detector.

6. The portable shock detector of claim 5 wherein the battery is rechargeable.

7. The portable shock detector of claim 1 including at least three water electrodes with the water electrodes spaced from each other to measure an electric field in different directions in the body of water.