Overflow water containment pedestal with high level sensor and shutoff

• US 4,814,752 A
• Filed: 11/16/1987
• Issued: 03/21/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: William L. Lehman
• Original Assignee: William L. Lehman
• Inventors: Lehman, William L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Orsino, Jr., Joseph A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery A.
• Application Number:
  US07/121,290
• Time in Patent Office: 491 Days
• Field of Search: 340/616, 340/604, 340/605, 340/620, 340/624, 200/61.05, 200/61.04, 220/1 C, 220/72
• US Class Current: 340/616
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/081 Safety arrangements for preventing water damage
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/60 using electrically actuated indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold

Abstract

A washer-type machine containment pedestal tray having sensor-shutoff device for removing power from the washing machine. The invention provides a pedestal for mounting a washing machine thereon and further, that is capable of containing overflow water should the machine malfunction. The collection of water in the containment pedestal tray actuates a float which in turn trips an electrical switch to remove operative power from the washing machine motor, thus stopping the overflow. Adjunct means are also used on the switch for sounding an audible alarm to operating personnel.

Claims

1. The combination of an overflow pedestal-type container with a switch for shutting off electrical power to a washing machine mounted thereon and comprising:

a containment pedestal tray for mounting said machine thereon comprising an essentially quadrilateral base having contiguous elevated sides about the periphery of said base and marginal material hardpoints, said tray adapted to hold liquid overflow from said machine and further comprising a materially diminished area proximate the central area of said base in order to reduce the amount of material required to fabricate said base;

said switch mounted adjacent said tray;

said switch, further comprising a sensor-shutoff device, said switch connected to a float, an electrical circuit, and said circuit further comprising a socket plug which feeds hot, common and ground power source inputs to a first discrete hot-ground output and feeds ground and common input to a second discrete ground-common output and also provides an interconnected hot output between said first and said second discrete outputs, a switched plug which connects said switch which is normally closed across the first discrete hot-hot outputs and to the first discrete ground output, and a washing machine plug which connects said motive means to said second discrete ground-common-interconnected hot-outputs, whereby when said switch is opened by said float in response to said water presence, said hot interconnect is broken and power source hot input is removed from said switch and thereby from said motive means, and additional electrical circuitry connecting said switch to an electric power source and further connecting said switch to the washing machine motor, said machine mounted on the pedestal handpoints of said tray; and

said float responsive to water overflowing said machine for activating said switch and thereby disconnecting said power source from said switch.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said first means further comprises electric alarming means.

3. The invention of claim 2 wherein said alarming means further comprises an electric audio device.

4. The invention of claim 1 wherein said motive means further comprises the motor of said machine which derives its primary motive power from electric power of said source and which is transitioned through said switch.