FLUID SUPPLY MONITORING SYSTEM

• US 20080185050A1
• Filed: 02/05/2008
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Brass Craft Manufacturing Co (Masco Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Brass Craft Manufacturing Co (Masco Corporation)
• Inventors: Mulligan, Timothy David, Tokarz, Steven John
• Application Number:
  US12/025,859
• Publication Number:
  US 20080185050A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 137/487
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 5/06 using electric or acoustic means
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/022 Test plugs for closing off the end of a pipe
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/28 for pipes, cables or tubes; for pipe joints or seals; for valves ; for welds
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0379 By fluid pressure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/2579 Flow rate responsive
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7062 Valve guards
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7723 Safety cut-off requiring reset
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7727 Excessive flow cut-off
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/776 Control by pressures across flow line valve
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8158 With indicator, register, recorder, alarm or inspection means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8593 Systems

Abstract

A fluid supply monitoring system includes a housing, a shutoff valve, and a flow sensor. The shutoff valve is positioned within said housing and selectively blocks a fluid flow through the housing. The flow sensor is positioned downstream from said shutoff valve within said housing and is operable to generate a magnetic field across the fluid flow to generate real time fluid flow data.

Claims

1. A fluid supply monitoring system, comprising:

a housing;

a shutoff valve within said housing that selectively blocks a fluid flow through said housing; and

a flow sensor positioned downstream from said shutoff valve within said housing, wherein said flow sensor is operable to generate a magnetic field across the fluid flow to generate real time fluid flow data.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said flow sensor includes a magnetic flow meter assembly.

3. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein said magnetic flow meter assembly includes a fluid passageway and a magnetic flow meter, and said magnetic flow meter generates said magnetic field within said fluid passageway.

4. The assembly as recited in claim 1, comprising a fluid passage in fluid communication with said shutoff valve, wherein said flow sensor is mounted to said fluid passage and said magnetic field is generated across the fluid flow in an area of said fluid passageway that is adjacent to said flow sensor.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, comprising a circuit board having a microprocessor, wherein said flow sensor is positioned downstream from said circuit board.

6. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said shutoff valve includes a valve assembly having a middle plate member positioned between at least two outside plate members, each of said middle plate member and said at least two outside plate members include an opening, and wherein said middle plate member is rotatable relative to said at least two outside plate members to block the fluid flow.

7. The system as recited in claim 6, wherein said shutoff valve includes a motor and a gear ring, wherein said middle plate member is attached to said gear ring, and rotation of said motor is transferred to said gear ring to rotate said middle plate member relative to said at least two outside plate members.

8. The system as recited in claim 6, comprising a position sensor that detects a positioning of said middle plate member relative to said at least two outside plate members.

9. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein an electrical potential is extracted from said magnetic field, and said real time fluid flow data is calculated from said electrical potential.

10. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said shutoff valve is actuable between an open position and a closed position.

11. The system as recited in claim 10, wherein said shutoff valve is actuated to said closed position in response to a least a portion of said real time fluid flow data exceeding a maximum limit associated with at least one of a plurality of predefined parameters.

12. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein said plurality of predefined parameters include at least a length of time the fluid flow has flown without interruption, a total volume of the fluid flow that has flown, and a flow rate of the fluid flow.