Flood control device

• US 5,979,493 A
• Filed: 03/09/1998
• Issued: 11/09/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Plumbing Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: Gary A. Isaacson Jr
• Inventors: Simpkins, Terry J. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ferensic, Denise L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FARID, RAMYAR M
• Application Number:
  US09/036,992
• Time in Patent Office: 610 Days
• Field of Search: 137/487.5, 137/624.11, 137/624.12
• US Class Current: 137/487.5
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 17/20 Excess-flow valves actuated in consequence of shock or similar extraneous influence F16K17/36
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 17/32 acting on a servo-mechanism or on a catch-releasing mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/10 using rotating vanes with axial admission
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/115 with magnetic or electromagnetic coupling to the indicating device
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/003 using electromagnetic, electric or electronic means G01F15/002, G01F15/02 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/005 Valves valves in general F16K
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/2807 for pipes G01M3/2892, G01M3/30 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7726 Responsive to change in rate of flow
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7727 Excessive flow cut-off
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7761 Electrically actuated valve
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86389 Programmer or timer

Abstract

A flood control device which measures the volume of fluid delivered in a continuous steady flow to a house or building and which shuts off the fluid flow if a preset maximum limit is reached, indicating overly high consumption due to a leak, break or open faucet in the plumbing of the house or building. The flood control device includes a learning mode, which measures and stores information about the flow of the liquid through the flood control device.

Claims

1. A flood control device comprising:

a housing having an inlet and an outlet;

a flow detector within the housing for detecting a volume of fluid continuously flowing into the inlet;

a controller, coupled to the flow detector, for monitoring the volume of continuous fluid flow detected by the flow detector; and

a shut-off mechanism, coupled to the controller, for shutting off the flow of fluid out of the outlet;

wherein the controller has a standard mode in which said controller closes said shut-off mechanism in response to continuous fluid flow into the inlet that exceeds a predetermined maximum, and wherein the controller has a learning mode in which the controller monitors continuous fluid flow into the inlet so as to automatically determine said predetermined maximum which is used during the standard mode.

2. The flood control device of claim 1, further comprising a learning switch which toggles the controller between the learning mode and the standard mode.

3. The flood control device of claim 1, wherein said flow detector comprises an axial impeller which rotates a specified number of times for a given volume of fluid flowing through the control device.

4. The flood control device of claim 2, wherein said axial impeller further comprises at least one indicator mass on at least one of its vanes.

5. The flood control device of claim 3, wherein said controller comprises:

a proximity detector for sensing when said at least one indicator mass passes by the proximity detector, thereby indicating a rotation of said axial impeller;

an electronic circuit, coupled to the proximity detector, for counting the number of rotations of the axial impeller; and

a solenoid, coupled to the electronic circuit, for triggering said shut-off mechanism when the electronic circuit has counted a number of rotations determined by the maximum usage observed of the axial impeller during the learning mode.

6. The flood control device of claim 4, wherein said shut-off mechanism comprises:

a trigger, coupled to said solenoid;

a cocking lever, releasably coupled to the trigger;

a cam shaft, attached to the cocking lever;

a cam, attached to the cam shaft; and

a ball engaging the cam such that when the trigger is activated by said solenoid, the cocking lever releases from a cocked position, rotating the cam shaft and cam and allowing the ball to be seated in a seat of said outlet, thereby closing the outlet and stopping fluid flow through the flood control device.

7. The flood control device of claim 4, wherein said at least one indicator mass is a metal mass.

8. The flood control device of claim 4, wherein said at least one indicator mass is a magnetic mass.

9. The flood control device of claim 1 wherein said controller is an electronic circuit which measures and monitors the volume of fluid flow sensed by said flow detector and activates said shut-off mechanism to close the control valve when a volume of fluid is measured equal to the maximum usage observed during the learning mode multiplied by a scale factor of equal to or greater than 1.