Circuit for detecting a leak in a water heater device and activating an alarm device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11408644-B2
Application number	US-202016987286-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 6, 2020
Priority date	Aug 14, 2019
Publication date	Aug 9, 2022
Grant date	Aug 9, 2022

Abstract

This disclosure is related to devices, systems, and techniques for outputting an alarm signal in response to detecting a leak in a water heater device. For example, a water heater device includes a leak sensor, an intermittent pilot light, and a circuit. The circuit includes processing circuitry configured to receive, from the leak sensor, an electrical signal including information indicative of a leak in the water heater device, activate, based on the electrical signal including information indicative of the leak, an alarm device, where the alarm device is powered for at least a period of time by a power source, where the power source is configured to receive energy from a thermoelectric device, and maintain an amount of energy stored by the power source so that the amount of energy is sufficient for the power source to supply energy to the alarm device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A water heater device comprising:
a leak sensor;
an intermittent pilot light; and
a circuit comprising processing circuitry configured to:
receive, from the leak sensor, an electrical signal including information indicative of a leak in the water heater device;
activate, based on receiving the electrical signal, an alarm device, wherein the alarm device is configured to draw power for at least a period of time from a power source storing an amount of energy, wherein the power source is configured to receive energy from a thermoelectric device in proximity to the intermittent pilot light;
ignite, based on receiving the electrical signal, the intermittent pilot light, wherein igniting the intermittent pilot light causes an electrical current to flow from the thermoelectric device through the power source, thus increasing the amount of energy stored by the power source so that the amount of energy stored by the power source is sufficient for the power source to supply energy to the alarm device; and
maintain the intermittent pilot light in a continuously ignited state when the processing circuitry receives the electrical signal.

2. The water heater device of claim 1 , wherein to ignite the intermittent pilot light based on receiving the electrical signal and based on the alarm device drawing power from the power source, the processing circuitry is configured to:
monitor the amount of energy stored by the power source to determine if the amount of energy stored by the power source is greater than a threshold amount of energy; and
ignite, based on the amount of energy stored by the power source falling below the threshold amount of energy, the intermittent pilot light, causing the thermoelectric device to supply the electrical current to the power source to increase the amount of energy stored by the power source.

3. The water heater device of claim 2 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to maintain the intermittent pilot light in the continuously ignited state at least until the amount of energy stored by the power source rises above the threshold amount of energy.

4. The water heater device of claim 1 , wherein to ignite the intermittent pilot light, the processing circuitry is configured to:
output an instruction to an ignition circuit to cause the ignition circuit to generate one or more sparks which ignite the intermittent pilot light.

5. The water heater device of claim 1 , wherein the period of time is a first period of time, and wherein the alarm device is powered for at least a second period of time by the energy from the thermoelectric device.

6. The water heater device of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
output, via communication circuitry, a message including the information indicative of the leak in the water heater device to one or more remote devices, wherein the communication circuitry is configured to wirelessly communicate with the one or more remote devices.

7. The water heater device of claim 6 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
receive, via the communication circuitry, a message including an instruction to ignore the information indicative of the leak in the water heater device;
deactivate, in response to receiving the message including the instruction to ignore the information indicative of the leak in the water heater device, the alarm device; and
maintain the alarm device in a continuously deactivated state for at least a predetermined amount of time.

8. The water heater device of claim 1 , wherein the communication circuitry comprises one or both of Wi-Fi® circuitry and a Bluetooth® radio, and wherein the communication circuitry is configured to communicate according to one or more Bluetooth® communication protocols and one or more Wi-Fi® protocols.

9. The water heater device of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
control a main burner to maintain a temperature of water in a water tank at a predetermined temperature value, wherein to control the main burner, the processing circuitry is configured to:
ignite, based on a water temperature model stored by a memory in communication with the processing circuitry, the pilot light in order to toggle the main burner between an activated state and a deactivated state.

10. A method for comprising:
receiving, by a circuit, an electrical signal from a leak sensor, the electrical signal including information indicative of a leak in a water heater device;
activating, by the circuit and based on receiving the electrical signal, an alarm device, wherein the alarm device is configured to draw power for at least a period of time from a power source storing an amount of energy, wherein the power source is configured to receive energy from a thermoelectric device in proximity to an intermittent pilot light;
igniting, by the circuit based on receiving the electrical signal, the intermittent pilot light, wherein igniting the intermittent pilot light causes an electrical current to flow from the thermoelectric device through the power source, thus increasing the amount of energy stored by the power source so that the amount of energy stored by the power source is sufficient for the power source to supply energy to the alarm device; and
maintaining, by the circuit, the intermittent pilot light in a continuously ignited state when the processing circuitry receives the electrical signal.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein igniting the intermittent pilot light based on receiving the electrical signal comprises:
monitoring the amount of energy stored by the power source to determine if the amount of energy stored by the power source is greater than a threshold amount of energy; and
igniting, based on the amount of energy stored by the power source falling below the threshold amount of energy, the intermittent pilot light, causing the thermoelectric device to supply the electrical current to the power source to increase the amount of energy stored by the power source.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises maintaining the intermittent pilot light in the continuously ignited state at least until the amount of energy stored by the power source rises above the threshold amount of energy.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the period of time is a first period of time, and wherein the alarm device is powered for at least a second period of time by the energy from the thermoelectric device.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein method further comprises outputting, via communication circuitry, a message including the information indicative of the leak in the water heater device to one or more remote devices, wherein the communication circuitry is configured to wirelessly communicate with the one or more remote devices.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the method further comprises:
receiving, via the communication circuitry, a message including an instruction to ignore the information indicative of the leak in the water heater device;
deactivating, in response to receiving the message including the instruction to ignore the information indicative of the leak in the water heater device, the alarm device; and
maintaining the alarm device in a continuously deactivated state for at least a predetermined amount of time.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein method further comprises:
controlling a main burner to maintain a temperature of water in a water tank at a predetermined temperature value, wherein controlling the main burner comprises:
igniting, based on a water

Assignees

• Ademco Inc

Inventors

• Hazzard Frederick
• Myre Adam
• Young Gregory

Classifications

• G08B21/182

  Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold · CPC title

• G01M3/188

  for radiators · CPC title

• H04W88/06

  adapted for operation in multiple networks {or having at least two operational modes}, e.g. multi-mode terminals · CPC title

• G01M3/00

  Investigating fluid-tightness of structures · CPC title

• F24H9/17

  Means for retaining water leaked from heaters · CPC title