Water Detection Assembly

• US 10,458,876 B1
• Filed: 06/28/2017
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hs Labs, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hs Labs, Inc.
• Inventors: Billman, Bradly Jay, Scott, Kade, Flachsbart, Matthew T., Matheson, Cory, Ethington, Benjamin D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ha, Nguyen Q.
• Application Number:
  US15/636,335
• Time in Patent Office: 853 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/045 with electrical detection means
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/18 for pipes, cables or tubes; for pipe joints or seals; for valves; for welds; for containers, e.g. radiators
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/183 for pipe joints or seals
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/40 by using electric means, e.g. by observing electric discharges
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/048 for determining moisture content of the material
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/20 responsive to moisture
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/36 Accumulators not provided for in groups H01M10/05-H01M10/34
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/247 specially adapted for portable devices, e.g. mobile phones, computers, hand tools or pacemakers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/32 activated through external addition of electrolyte or of electrolyte components
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a water detection device that includes a water-activated battery configured to supply an electrical voltage upon contact with water, a device housing configured to receive the water-activated battery and one or more first electronic components, where the device housing has a plurality of ports that are configured to facilitate insertion and removal of the one or more first electronic components, and a modular housing disposed in a first port of the plurality of ports of the device housing, where the modular housing has one or more second electronic components communicatively coupled to the water-activated battery via the first port, such that the water-activated battery supplies the electrical voltage to the one or more second electronic components upon contact with water.

Claims

1. A water detection device, comprising:

a water-activated battery configured to supply an electrical voltage upon contact with water;

a device housing configured to receive the water-activated battery and one or more first electronic components, wherein the device housing comprises a plurality of ports that are configured to facilitate insertion and removal of the one or more first electronic components; and

a modular housing disposed in a first port of the plurality of ports of the device housing, wherein the modular housing comprises one or more second electronic components communicatively coupled to the water-activated battery via the one or more first electronic components, such that the water-activated battery, upon contact with water, supplies the electrical voltage via the one or more first electronic components to the one or more second electronic components.

2. The water detection device of claim 1, wherein a second port of the plurality of ports of the device housing is configured to receive an intermediate connector, and wherein the intermediate connector is configured to establish an electrical pathway between the one or more second electronic components and the water-activated battery.

3. The water detection device of claim 1, wherein a surface of the device housing comprises a plurality of fluid passageways configured to direct water toward the water-activated battery.

4. The water detection device of claim 3, wherein the plurality of fluid passageways are configured to direct the water toward the water-activated battery through adhesion, cohesion, surface tension, or a combination thereof.

5. The water detection device of claim 1, wherein the one or more second electronic components are removably connected to the water-activated battery.

6. The water detection device of claim 1, wherein the device housing comprises a visual indicator configured to signal a detection event when the water-activated battery is exposed to water.

7. The water detection device of claim 1, wherein the one or more second electronic components of the modular housing are configured to transmit a signal to an electronic device when the electrical voltage is supplied to the one or more second electronic components from the water-activated battery.

8. The water detection device of claim 1, wherein the one or more second electronic components of the modular housing comprise a memory configured to store information representative of a physical location of the water detection device.

9. The water detection device of claim 8, wherein the one or more second electronic components of the modular housing comprise an electronic circuit configured to execute instructions stored on the memory.

10. A water leak detection and notification system, comprising:

a dormant power source disposed in a device housing, wherein the device housing comprises a multiple-layer wall defining a chamber, the wall having a water porous layer and a water soluble layer to seal the chamber, wherein the dormant power source contains a dry material changeable upon exposure to water from a dormant condition to an active condition, wherein the dormant power source does not generate electrical voltage when in the dormant condition, and wherein the dormant power source generates electrical voltage when in the active condition;

an electronic circuit disposed in a modular housing and electrically coupled to the dormant power source, wherein the modular housing is configured to be removably received in a port of the device housing, and wherein the electronic circuit is configured to transmit an electrical signal to an IP address, a URL, an email address, a telephone number, a monitoring station, or any combination thereof, in response to a change from the dormant condition to the active condition to indicate a water leak; and

a memory disposed in the modular housing and connected to the electronic circuit, wherein the memory is configured to store information representative of a physical location of the device housing.

11. The water leak detection and notification system of claim 10, wherein the electronic circuit is removably coupled to the dormant power source.

12. The water leak detection and notification system of claim 10, comprising a communication component of the device housing, wherein the communication component is configured to communicatively couple to the memory disposed in the modular housing.

13. The water leak detection and notification system of claim 12, wherein the communication component comprises a conductive material disposed on an outer surface of the device housing.

14. The water leak detection and notification system of claim 10, comprising an indicator disposed on an outer surface of the device housing and configured to enable communication between the electronic circuit and an interrogator.

15. The water leak detection and notification system of claim 14, wherein the indicator is a QR code.

16. The water leak detection and notification system of claim 14, wherein the interrogator is configured to supply electrical voltage to the electronic circuit to determine a status of the electronic circuit.

17. A method, comprising:

disposing an electronic circuit into a modular housing;

disposing the modular housing into a first port of a device housing;

disposing a water-activated battery into a second port of the device housing;

coupling the electronic circuit to the water-activated battery; and

sealing the device housing from the second port of the device housing.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein coupling the electronic circuit to the water-activated battery comprises connecting a first portion of an intermediate component to the electrical circuit in the device housing and connecting a second portion of the intermediate component to the water-activated battery in the second port of the device housing.

19. The method of claim 17, comprising:

disconnecting the electrical circuit from the water-activated battery; and

removing the modular housing from the first port of the device housing.

20. The method of claim 19, comprising disposing the modular housing into a third port of an additional device housing.