Liquid leakage detector line

• US 5,381,097 A
• Filed: 02/26/1993
• Issued: 01/10/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tatsuta Electric Wire & Cable Co Ltd
• Original Assignee: Tatsuta Electric Wire & Cable Co Ltd
• Inventors: Kawakami, Yoshinori, Ishihara, Akihiro, Takatori, Taizo, Ishizaka, Masuo, Okumura, Takahisa, Masui, Tadaaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Wieder, Kenneth A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROWN, GLENN WARNER
• Application Number:
  US08/022,913
• Time in Patent Office: 683 Days
• Field of Search: 324/512, 324/525, 324/527, 324/555, 324/557, 73/40, 204/401, 174/47, 422/82.01, 29/868
• US Class Current: 324/512
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/045 with electrical detection means
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/165 by means of cables or similar elongated devices, e.g. tapes

Abstract

A liquid leakage detector line is provided with a coating layer having at least liquid-absorbent properties and disposed at the outer periphery of a core which contains a pair of wiry electrodes disposed nearly parallel with each other, wherein the wiry electrodes comprise conductors which are extrusion coated with a polyester elastomer as an insulator. The liquid leakage detector line has excellent mechanical strength, rubber elasticity, resistance to fatigue from flexing and crack propagation resistance, and is free from the occurrence of pinholes, crazings, etc. inside the insulator during production and laying due to external forces applied to the wiry electrodes, such as pressure, tensile force, bending, and the like. As a result, erroneous actuation due to rainfall, etc. does not occur, and the time required to detect the sulfuric acid or other liquid to be detected has little dependence on the temperature, and short detection times for leaking liquid are possible even at low temperatures.

Claims

1. A liquid leakage detector line provided with a coating layer disposed at the outer periphery of a core, the core containing a pair of wiry electrodes having an extrusion coating disposed nearly parallel with each other, characterized in that said wiry electrodes are formed with conductors which have the extrusion coating of a thermoplastic polyester elastomer thereon as the insulator thereof, and in that the coating layer possesses waterproof and liquid-absorbent properties.

2. A liquid leakage detector line according to claim 1, characterized in that the coating layer is a braided body layer consisting of only waterproof and liquid-absorbent yarn.

3. A liquid leakage detector line according to claim 1, characterized in that the coating layer is a braided body layer consisting of an alternating pattern of a group of yarn which is insoluble in the liquid to be detected and non-absorbent, and a group of yarn which is soluble in the liquid to be detected and liquid-absorbent.

7. A liquid leakage detector line according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized by being provided with a spacer which consists of a member which is soluble in the liquid to be detected, and maintains a minute gap between said pair of wiry electrodes.

8. A liquid leakage detector line according to claim 7, characterized in that said spacer consists of a cord which is soluble in the liquid to be detected, and is surrounded by said pair of wiry electrodes, and a pair of inclusion cords having an outside diameter roughly equal to that of the wiry electrodes, creating a nearly circular core twisted into a star shape.

9. A liquid leakage detector line according to claim 7, characterized in that said spacer consists of tape which is waterproof and soluble in the liquid to be detected wound around at least one of said wiry electrodes.

4. A liquid leakage detector line provided with successive coatings of an inner layer and an outer layer around the outer periphery of a core, the core containing a pair of wiry electrodes having an extrusion coating disposed nearly parallel with each other, characterized in that the wiry electrodes are formed with conductors which have the extrusion coating of a thermoplastic polyester elastomer thereon as the insulator thereof, and in that the outer layer possesses waterproof and liquid-absorbent properties.

5. A liquid leakage detector line according to claim 4, characterized in that the inner layer is a braided body layer consisting of yarn which is insoluble in the liquid to be detected and non-absorbent.

6. A liquid leakage detector line according to claim 4, characterized in that the inner layer is a braided body layer consisting of an alternating pattern of a group of yarn which is insoluble in the liquid to be detected and nonabsorbent, and a group of yarn which is soluble in the liquid to be detected and liquid-absorbent.

10. A liquid leakage detector line, comprising:

a pair of wiry electrodes having a flexible conductor with an extrusion coating of a thermoplastic polyester elastomer, an outer-layer coating possessing at least liquid-absorbent properties around a core which contains the pair of wiry electrodes, and a series of impedance elements each connected at a certain specified length to one of the wiry electrodes.

11. A liquid leakage detector line according to claim 10, characterized in having a required number of unit detector lines with each one of the series of impedance elements connected to a respective one of the unit detector lines and connected to one of the wiry electrodes at a specified length.

12. A liquid leakage detector line according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that said core contains a connecting line consisting of a flexible conductor insulated with an insulator which is waterproof and insoluble in the liquid to be detected, and connected to one end of the wiry electrode to which said series of impedance elements is connected.

13. A liquid leakage detector line, comprising:

a pair of wiry electrodes having a flexible conductor with an extrusion coating of a thermoplastic polyester elastomer, a coating layer possessing at least liquid-absorbent properties around a core which contains the pair of wiry electrodes, and constant current circuits which cause a specified current to flow in the same direction from one wiry electrode to the other wiry electrode, each respectively connected in a parallel manner at a certain specified length to the wiry electrodes.

14. A liquid leakage detector line according to claim 13, characterized in that the conductor of one wiry electrode is a high-resistance wire having a comparatively high resistance value, and the conductor of the other wiry electrode is a low-resistance wire having a comparatively low resistance value, and in that the upcurrent end in the direction of the order of said constant current circuits is connected to said high-resistance wire end.

15. A liquid leakage detector line according to claim 14, characterized in that the high-resistance wire has a plurality of resistance elements each respectively connected to a flexible conductor at a certain specified length.

16. A liquid leakage detector line according to any one of claims 13-15, characterized in that at least one resistance element is connected to one of the wiry electrodes at a certain specified length, and a required number of unit detector lines, having constant current circuits connected thereto, are connected between the wiry electrodes in such a way that the polarities of the constant current circuits are in the same direction.

17. A liquid leakage detector line according to claim 16, characterized in that said core contains a pair of connecting lines having flexible conductors insulated with an insulator which is waterproof and insoluble in the liquid to be detected, and each respectively connected to one end of one of said pair of wiry electrodes.

18. A liquid leakage detector line according to any one of claims 13-15, characterized in that said core contains a pair of connecting lines having flexible conductors insulated with an insulator which is waterproof and insoluble in the liquid to be detected, and each respectively connected to one end of one of said pair of wiry electrodes.