Automated plumbing system sensor warning system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10590640-B2
Application number	US-201816019748-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 27, 2018
Priority date	Jun 27, 2017
Publication date	Mar 17, 2020
Grant date	Mar 17, 2020

Abstract

A standing water alert system comprises two conductive wires or a float extending into a drain and connected to an audible or visual alarm that is triggered when standing water is present. A drain alert system and method comprises a plurality of sensors, such as pressure or acoustic/vibration sensors, at various locations within a plumbing or fluid filtration system to measure pressure or an acoustic profile at that location and a control system to compare the measured parameters to a threshold value or range and/or to other measured parameters from nearby sensor locations. A signal is sent to a remote user or computer or an alarm is triggered when the comparison shows a potential blockage, a leak, or indicating that a filter needs to be replaced or cleaned. An approximate location of the blockage, leak, or fouled filter is determined by comparing measured parameters at nearby sensor locations.

First claim

We claim:

1. A drain alert system for detecting changes indicating a blockage in a building drain system comprising a drain pipe, the drain alert system comprising:
two or more sensors, each sensor connected to the drain pipe, a stack, a cleanout, or a combination thereof in the building drain system to measure a parameter within the drain system at a location of the sensor;
a control system configured to receive signals from the sensors, compare the measured parameter from each sensor to a threshold value or range of values, and send a signal to a remote user or remote device or trigger an alarm indicating a blockage in the drain pipe or the stack when at least one of the measured parameters is above or below the threshold value or outside the range of values; and
wherein (1) the sensors are pressure sensors and the parameter is a pressure, or (2) the sensors are acoustic or vibration sensors and the parameter is an acoustic profile, or (3) a combination thereof.

2. The drain alert system of claim 1 wherein the control system is further configured to compare the measured parameter from at least one sensor to another sensor in an adjacent location within the drain system to identify an approximate location of the blockage within the drain system.

3. The drain alert system of claim 1 wherein the control system is further configured to identify an approximate location of the blockage within the drain system, wherein the approximate location is between a location of a first sensor having a measured parameter above the threshold or range of values and a second sensor having a measured parameter below the threshold or range of values.

4. The drain alert system of claim 2 further comprising a display to display data regarding the measured parameters, the comparisons to the threshold or range of values, the comparisons of measured parameters from adjacent sensors, the approximate location of the blockage, or a combination thereof.

5. The drain alert system of claim 1 wherein the signal from at least one sensor is sent to the control system wirelessly.

6. A method of detecting a blockage in a building drain system comprising a drain pipe, the method comprising the following steps:
measuring a parameter at two or more locations within the drain pipe, a stack, a cleanout, or a combination thereof within the building drain system;
comparing the measured parameter from at least a first location to a threshold value or range of values; and
sending a signal to a remote user or remote device or triggering an alarm when the comparing step indicates there is a blockage; and
wherein the parameter is a pressure or an acoustic profile.

7. The blockage detection method of claim 6 further comprising comparing the measured parameter from the first location to the measured parameter at a second location.

8. The blockage detection method of claim 7 further comprising sending a signal to the remote user or remote device identifying an approximate location of the blockage as upstream or downstream of the first location within the drain system.

9. The blockage detection method of claim 6 further comprising comparing the measured parameter from a second location to the threshold value or range of values and sending a signal to the remote user or remote device identifying an approximate location of the blockage as between the first location and the second location when (1) the measured pressure at the first location is above the threshold or range of values and the measured pressure at the second location is below the threshold or range of values or (2) the measured acoustic profile at location is outside the range of values and the measured acoustic profile at the second location is within the range of values or (3) a combination thereof.

10. The blockage detection method of claim 7 further comprising displaying data regarding the measured pressures or acoustic profiles, the comparisons to the range of values, the comparisons of measured pressures or acoustic profiles from the first and second locations, the approximate location of the blockage, or a combination thereof.

11. The blockage detection method of claim 7 wherein the comparison of measured pressures or acoustic profiles at the first and second locations is only made when at least one of the measured pressures or acoustic profiles at the first location is above or below the threshold or outside of the range.

12. The blockage detection method of claim 7 wherein the comparison of measured pressures at the first and second locations is only made when at least one of the measured pressures at the first location is above the threshold or above of the range and at least one of the measured pressures at the second location is below the threshold or below the range; and wherein the range is atmospheric pressure or near atmospheric pressure.

13. An alert system for detecting when a filter through which fluid in a fluid filtration system flows needs to be cleaned or replaced, the alert system comprising:
a first sensor connected to a pipe or conduit downstream of the filter to measure a parameter within the fluid filtration system at a location of the first sensor;
a control system configured to receive signals from the first sensor, compare the measured parameter from the first sensor to a threshold value or range of values and to send a signal to a remote user or remote device or trigger an alarm when at the measured parameter is above or below the threshold value or outside the range of values indicating the filter needs to be cleaned or replaced; and
wherein (1) the first sensor is a pressure sensors and the parameter is a pressure, or (2) the first sensor is an acoustic or vibration sensor and the parameter is an acoustic profile.

14. The alert system of claim 13 wherein the fluid is air and (1) the threshold value is atmospheric pressure or a range of pressures near atmospheric pressure when the sensors are pressure sensors or (2) the threshold value is a baseline acoustic profile obtained during normal operation of the air filtration system when the filter is new or has been cleaned or a range of acoustic profiles obtained during normal operation of the air filtration system when the filter is new or has been cleaned when the sensors are acoustic or vibration sensors.

15. The alert system of claim 13 further comprising:
a second sensor connected to a pipe or conduit upstream of the filter to measure a parameter within the fluid filtration system at a location of the second sensor; and
wherein the control system is configured to receive signals from the second sensor, to compare the measured parameter from the second sensor to the measured parameter from the first sensor to determine a change of parameters across the filter, to compare the change of parameters across the filter to a threshold value or range of values, and to send a signal to a remote user or remote device or trigger an alarm when the measured change of parameters across the filter is above or below the threshold value or outside the range of values indicating the filter needs to be cleaned or replaced; and
wherein (1) the second sensor is a pressure sensor and the parameter is a pressure, or (2) the second sensor is an acoustic or vibration sensor and the parameter is an acoustic profile.

16. A method of detecting when a filter through which a fluid in a fluid filtration system flows needs to be cleaned or replaced, the method comprising:
periodically measuring the pressure or acoustic profile at a first location downstream of and adjacent to at least a first filter;
optionally periodically

Assignees

• Nch Corp

Inventors

• Pearce Iii Robert C
• Laney Christopher James
• Sigler Alesia
• Erdman Alex

Classifications

• E03C1/1222

  Arrangements of devices in domestic waste water pipe-line systems · CPC title

• E03C1/264

  Separate sieves or similar object-catching inserts · CPC title

• E03C2001/2406

  Overflow alarm devices · CPC title

• E03F2201/40

  Means for indicating blockage in sewer systems · CPC title

• E03F7/00 Primary

  Other installations or implements for operating sewer systems, e.g. for preventing or indicating stoppage; Emptying cesspools · CPC title