APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DETECTING MOLD GROWTH CONDITIONS

• US 20130133404A1
• Filed: 11/28/2011
• Published: 05/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Taylor Precision Products (Lifetime Brands Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Taylor Precision Products (Lifetime Brands Incorporated)
• Inventors: Koon, Jeffrey D., Emrich, Ronni L., Patel, Diptesh R.
• Application Number:
  US13/304,985
• Publication Number:
  US 20130133404A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/29.02
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/523 for displaying temperature data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/526 giving audible indications
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/54 using one central controller connected to several sub-controllers
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/20 Humidity
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2221/17 mounted in a wall

Abstract

A system for detecting a mold condition has a base unit configured to receive and display the temperature and the humidity from a remote sensing unit. The base unit is configured to determine if a mold condition is present at a location of the remote sensing unit based on a time interval the remote sensing unit detects the humidity and the temperature above predetermined thresholds, and display an indicator if the mold condition is present. A method of detecting a mold condition includes wirelessly transmitting a detected humidity and temperature from a sensing unit to a base unit, monitoring the temperature and the humidity across a time interval, and providing an indicator if the mold condition is present when the temperature and the humidity are above predetermined thresholds for the time interval.

Claims

1. A mold condition detection system comprising:

a remote sensing unit configured to detect a temperature and a humidity and wirelessly transmit the temperature and the humidity; and

a base unit configured to receive the temperature and the humidity from the remote sensing unit, the base unit configured to determine if a mold condition is present at a location of the remote sensing unit based on a time interval over which the remote sensing unit detects the humidity and the temperature above predetermined thresholds;

wherein the base unit is configured to produce an alert if the mold condition is present.

2. The detection system of claim 1, wherein the mold condition is present if the temperature is at least seventy degrees Fahrenheit and the humidity is at least sixty percent for a time interval of at least two hours.

3. The detection system of claim 1, wherein both the base unit and the remote sensing unit are configured to produce an indicator if the mold condition is present.

4. The detection system of claim 1, wherein the indicator is produced until the mold condition is no longer present.

5. The detection system of claim 1, wherein the indicator is produced until the indicator is manually turned off.

6. The detection system of claim 1 wherein the base unit includes a display screen which is configured to display the temperature and the humidity from the remote sensing unit.

7. The detection system of claim 1, wherein the base unit is configured to display maximum and minimum values of temperature and humidity during the time interval.

8. The detection system of claim 1 further comprising a second remote sensing unit configured to detect a temperature and a humidity and wirelessly transmit the temperature and the humidity;

wherein the base unit is configured to receive the temperature and the humidity from the second remote sensing unit.

9. The detection system of claim 8 wherein the base unit is configured to connect to the remote sensing unit on a first channel, and the second remote sensing unit on a second channel;

and

10. The detection system of claim 9 wherein the base unit has an interface to select to display information from one of the first channel and the second channel.

11. The detection system of claim 1 wherein the alert is an audible alert.

12. The detection system of claim 1 wherein the alert is a visual alert.

13. A method of detecting a mold condition, the method comprising:

detecting a humidity and a temperature using a sensing unit positioned at a first location to determine if a mold condition is present at the first location;

wirelessly transmitting the humidity and the temperature from the sensing unit to a base unit positioned at a second location;

monitoring the temperature and the humidity across a time interval;

providing an alert that the mold condition is present at the first location when the temperature and the humidity are above predetermined thresholds for the time interval.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the alert is an audible alert produced from one of the base unit and the sensing unit when the mold condition is present.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the alert is a visual alert on the base unit when the mold condition is present.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising displaying the temperature and the humidity on a display of the base unit.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the mold condition is present if the temperature is at least seventy degrees Fahrenheit and the humidity is at least sixty percent for at least two hours.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the alert is provided until the mold condition is no longer present.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein the alert is provided until the alert is manually turned off.

20. A system for detecting a condition for mold, the system comprising:

a sensing unit having a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor, the sensing unit configured to wirelessly transmit a temperature and a humidity; and

a base unit configured to receive the transmitted temperature and the transmitted humidity, the base unit monitoring the temperature and the humidity across a time interval, the base unit configured to provide an alert when the temperature and the humidity are above predetermined thresholds for the time interval.