Leak stopper system for water plumbing

• US 6,987,458 B1
• Filed: 10/03/2003
• Issued: 01/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Garrett L. Limmer
• Original Assignee: Garrett L. Limmer
• Inventors: Limmer, Garrett L.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US10/679,221
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: 363/20, 363/21.01, 363/39, 363/40, 323/222, 323/290, 340/604, 340/605, 340/618, 340/620, 340/531, 340/533, 340/534, 137/487.5, 137/624.11, 137/624.12, 73/405.R
• US Class Current: 340/605
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/20 responsive to moisture

Abstract

A leak-stopper system for water plumbing (2) has a leak-probe circuit (1) positioned in water-detection proximity to water plumbing for a building. Leak sensors (3) which include three-probe sensors (14) are spaced apart on the leak-probe circuit for conveying existence of leakage water (7) electrically to a control board (4) with electrical communication to visual signalers (5) and to a plumbing valve (6) for shutting off water to the water plumbing automatically before leakage in the water plumbing can be fixed and to indicate where one or more leaks are for being fixed to prevent water damage to a building or its contents. Preferably, electrical current to the leak-probe circuit and to the plumbing valve is from a power source that includes an isolated power source which can be a chargeable battery (9) or other DC power supplier (12) for supplying a safe level of current for a predetermined period of leak-detection time in case of power outage to the building.

Claims

1. A leak-stopper system for water plumbing comprising:

a leak-probe circuit (1) positioned in water-detection proximity to water plumbing (2) for a building;

an electrical circuit having electrical communication from a predetermined plurality of predeterminedly spaced-apart leak sensors (3) on the leak-probe circuit (1) to a control board (4);

the leak sensors (3) include three-probe sensors (14) having an output probe (15) intermediate a first input probe (16) and a second input probe (17);

the leak-probe circuit (1) is in electrical communication with the first input probe (16) and the second input probe (17) through input connectors (18);

the leak-probe circuit (1) is in return electrical communication with the output probe (15) through an output connector (19);

the first input probe (16) and a second input probe (17) are articulated to convey current through leakage water (7) to the output probe (15) and the output probe (15) is articulated to receive the current through the leakage water (7) for conveying the current from the leakage water (7) through the output connector (19) and into the leak-probe circuit (1) for communication to designated visual leak signalers (5) on the control board (4);

visual leak signalers (5) on the control board (4) being in electrical communication with the leak sensors (3) for electrically detecting and signaling location of any water leakage of the water plumbing (2) proximate one or more of the leak sensors (3) to at least one of the visual leak signalers (5) on the control board (4);

the water plumbing (2) including a plumbing valve (6) with predetermined features for shutting off water to the water plumbing predeterminedly in response to detection of leakage of the water plumbing (2) in order to allow the water leakage to be fixed before water damage occurs to the building or to contents of the building;

the leak sensors (3) being articulated for detecting water leakage (7) by closing of circuitry of the leak sensors (3) predeterminedly with leakage water (7) for communicating position of the leakage water (7) by communicating position of at least one of the leak sensors (3) with circuitry closed by the leakage water (7) to at least one of predetermined visual leak signalers (5) on the control board (4);

the control board (4) being articulated in coordination with the water plumbing (2) and the leak-probe circuit (1) for indicating location of the leakage water (7) by indicating location of at least one of the leak sensors (3) with circuitry closed by the leakage water (7); and

an electrical source (8) for supplying user-safe electrical current to components of the leak-stopper system for detecting leaks, for communicating their location, for operating the plumbing valve (6) and for other related functions.

2. The leak-stopper system for water plumbing of claim 1, wherein:

the electrical source (8) includes an isolated power source for supplying a user-safe level of current for a predetermined period of leak-detection time in case of power outage to the building.

3. The leak-stopper system for water plumbing of claim 2 wherein:

the isolated power source includes a chargeable battery (9) that is chargeable by a charger (10) in communication with an AC power source (11) to the building.

4. The leak-stopper system for water plumbing of claim 2 wherein:

the isolated power source includes a predetermined DC power supplier (12) with DC current from a transformer (13) in communication with the AC power source (11) to the building.

5. The leak-stopper system for water plumbing of claim 1 wherein:

the leak-probe circuit (1) includes a valve-control line (20) in communication with the plumbing valve (6) from the control board (4) for closing the plumbing valve (6) automatically in response to communication of detection of a leak in the water plumbing (2) by at least one of the leak sensors (3); and

the plumbing valve (6) is articulated to be closed for preventing water from entering the water plumbing (2) by the communication from the control board (4).

6. The leak-stopper system for water plumbing of claim 5 and further comprising:

an override switch for manually overriding automatic closing of the plumbing valve (6).

7. The leak-stopper system for water plumbing of claim 6, wherein:

the override switch includes a pushbutton toggle switch (21).

8. The leak-stopper system for water plumbing of claim 6 and further comprising:

an override-time regulator for regulating time of override of automatic closing of the plumbing valve (6).

9. The leak-stopper system for water plumbing of claim 8, wherein:

the override-time regulator includes a rotational knob (22) for being rotated in a rotational direction predeterminedly for increase of time of override of the automatic closing of the plumbing valve (6).

10. The leak-stopper system for water plumbing of claim 1, wherein:

the visual leak signalers (5) include LED'"'"'s.

11. The leak-stopper system for water plumbing of claim 1 and further comprising:

an audio signaler (23) on the control board (4) for signaling leakage.

12. The leak-stopper system for water plumbing of claim 1 and further comprising:

a remote-control connection (24) for optionally hard-wire or wireless remote control of the control board (4), the plumbing valve (6) and other features of the leak-stopper system.

13. The leak-stopper system for water plumbing of claim 1 and further comprising:

a network connection (25) for remote control of the leak-stopper system that includes a plurality thereof.

14. The leak-stopper system for water plumbing of claim 1, wherein:

the leak-probe circuit (1) includes a plurality of signal lines (23) with each of the signal lines (23) having electrical communication from a predetermined leak sensor (3) to a predetermined visual leak signaler (5).

15. The leak-stopper system for water plumbing of claim 1 and further comprising:

a circuit attachment (27) for attaching the leak-probe circuit (3) to the water plumbing (2).

16. The leak-stopper system for water plumbing of claim 15, wherein:

the circuit attachment (27) includes a pipe clasp (28).

17. The leak-stopper system for water plumbing of claim 15, wherein:

the circuit attachment (27) includes a clasp tray (29) for clasping onto the water plumbing (2) for collecting the leakage water (7) and for conveying the leakage water (7) to the leak sensors (3).

18. The leak-stopper system for water plumbing of claim 17, wherein:

the circuit attachment (27) includes the pipe clasp (28).

19. The leak-stopper system for water plumbing of claim 15, wherein:

the circuit attachment (27) includes an adhesive (30) for adhering the leak-probe circuit (1) to the water plumbing (2).

20. The leak-stopper system for water plumbing of claim 1 and further comprising:

an electronic circuit (31) for communicating leak detection by the leak sensors (3) to the visual leak signalers (5) and for conveying shutoff communication to the plumbing valve (6).