Portable excess water usage control and alarm system

• US 6,323,774 B1
• Filed: 09/13/1995
• Issued: 11/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gregory L. Mitchell
• Original Assignee: Gregory L. Mitchell
• Inventors: Mitchell, Gregory L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lefkowitz, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): GOINS, DAVETTA WOODS
• Application Number:
  US08/527,788
• Time in Patent Office: 2,267 Days
• Field of Search: 340/606, 340/605, 340/616, 340/618, 340/603, 340/609, 340/610, 340/615, 340/870.02, 340/870.05, 364/556, 137/551, 324/207.11
• US Class Current: 340/606
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 1/06 for steam
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/0755 involving digital counting
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/20 responsive to moisture

Abstract

A monitor, shutoff control, and alarm for use with an inlet water supply obtained from a municipal water supply to prevent excessive usage of water due to leakage or human error, that includes a measuring means and shutoff valve connected to the inlet supply, a processor that includes a program for setting threshold values of water volume per unit time anticipated by the particular household, which, when exceeded, will set off an audio alarm or will activate a telephone dialer to call a predetermined number if no one is at home. The system is programmed in volume increments of time, such as hours, days, or weeks, to accommodate systems that include sprinklers which may require some volume of water over a short period of time. The system can be portable. It is easily installed and mounted in conventional water systems for homes, but can be individually adjusted based on the anticipated water usage of a particular household. If a household anticipated using 400 to 500 gallons of water per day, which would include showers, sprinkler systems, and all water usage, then the threshold value of the system could be preprogrammed to 700 or 800 gallons of water per 24-hour period which, if exceeded, would set off the alarm. The system is especially useful for homeowners who do not live in the particular dwelling year-round, but require leaving the water system on so that lawns can be watered and the like.

Claims

1. A portable system to monitor, control, and provide an alarm for excessive use of an inlet water supply though an inlet pipe from a water source under pressure, comprising:

a measuring means for providing measurements of the inlet pipe volume of water per unit time, said measuring means comprising a rotatable impeller, a timer, and an electronic counter;

a central control box having an interior and an exterior, said central control box sized to be hand-held and portable;

a first user interface means for entering a threshold value of inlet pipe volume of water per unit time, said user interface means housed in said interior of said central control box;

a visual display mounted on said exterior of said central control box for displaying gallons of water used per unit time;

a second user interface means for entering said unit time period, said second user interface means mounted on said exterior of said central control box;

a comparison means for correlating the inputted threshold value and the measurements of the inlet pipe, said comparison means comprising a processor and a computer program readable by said processor for comparing said measurements of inlet pipe volume per unit time and said threshold values of inlet pipe volume per unit time, said comparison means housed in said interior of said central control box;

an alarm means for providing an alarm when the inlet pipe measurement exceeds the inputted threshold value, said comparison means actuating said alarm means when said measurements exceed said threshold values.

2. A monitor control and alarm device as in claim 1, in which said alarm means comprises:

a triggering circuit means for providing an output signal;

a telephone dialer connected to said triggering circuit means for connecting to a typical home telephone system for dialing preselected telephone numbers whenever said output signal is received from said circuit means.

3. A monitor control and alarm device as in claim 1, in which said alarm means comprises:

a triggering circuit means for providing an output signal;

an audio alarm means connected to said triggering circuit means for providing an audio alarm whenever said output signal is received from said triggering circuit means.

4. A monitor control and alarm device as in claim 1, in which said alarm means comprises:

a triggering circuit means for providing an output signal;

a visual alarm for providing a visual alarm whenever said output signal is received from said triggering circuit means.

5. A monitor control and alarm device as in claim 1, including an auxiliary battery power supply connected to said processor, which can be activated if the main power supply fails.

6. A monitor control and alarm device as in claim 5, including:

a first light mounted on the exterior of said control box for acknowledging the operability of the system; and

a second light mounted on the exterior of said control box and connected to said battery for showing that the battery is low on voltage, below a threshold minimum.

7. A monitor control and alarm device as in claim 1, wherein said measuring means includes a shutoff valve connected to said inlet pipe, said shutoff valve electrically operated and controlled by said processor when the volume per unit time has exceeded an inputted shut off value.

8. A portable system to monitor, control, and provide an alarm for excessive use of an inlet water supply though an inlet pipe from a water source under pressure, comprising:

a measuring means for providing measurements of volume of inlet water per unit time connected to said inlet water supply, said measuring means including a rotatable impeller, a timer, and an electronic counter;

a processor connected to said measuring means;

a central control box housing said processor, said box having an interior and an exterior;

a first input means connected to said processor and mounted on the exterior of said control box for inputting information into said processor;

a second input means connected to said processor and mounted on the interior of said control box for inputting information into said processor;

a triggering circuit means connected to said processor for providing an output signal;

a computer program internal to said processor for excepting an input value from said first and second input means, of a predetermined threshold value of water volume per unit time, and excepting measurements from said measurement means, accumulating and manipulating said measurements, comparing said input and said accumulated and manipulated measurements, and actuating the output signal of said triggering circuit means when the accumulated and manipulated measurements exceed the input value;

telephone dialer connected to said alarm circuit means for connecting to a typical home telephone system for dialing preselected telephone numbers whenever said output signal is received from said circuit means;

an audio alarm means connected to said triggering circuit means for providing an audio alarm whenever said output signal is received from said triggering circuit means;

a visual alarm for providing a visual alarm whenever said output signal is received from said triggering circuit means;

a shutoff valve connected to said inlet pipe, said shutoff valve electrically operated and controlled by said processor when the volume per unit time has exceeded an inputted shut off value;

a display means connected to said processor and mounted on said exterior of said control box for displaying values manipulated by said program, said display means controllable from said first input means;

a plug connected at a first end in series to said processor and said telephone dialer, said plug having a second end for supplying power from a conventional 110-volt AC power source; and

a transformer means juxtaposed near said first end and said second end of the plug for providing a low voltage power supply to said processor and said telephone dialer;

whereby said processor can be programmed for predetermined unit time increments, hourly, daily, weekly, or monthly, and predetermined volumes per increments of unit time that establishes a threshold value which, when exceeded, activates said triggering circuit means.