Leaked fluid detecting device

Abstract

To provide a leaked fluid detecting device that can prevent a fluid from entering a container through a wire hole for passing a wire which connects a sensor to a wireless communication machine stored in the container.SOLUTION: A leaked fluid detecting device (100) comprises: a sensor (60), a wireless communication machine (70), a wire (80), a container (30), a supporting member. The sensor (60) detects leakage of the fluid when in contact with the fluid and outputs a detection signal. The wireless communication machine (70) receives a detection signal from the sensor (60) and transmits the detection signal to the outside of the device. The wire (80) connects the sensor (60) and the wireless communication machine (70). The container (30) has an internal space that can store the wireless communication machine (70) air-tightly. The container (30) is formed with a wire hole (32) for inserting the wire (80). When the leaked fluid detection device (100) is floating above a liquid level, a height of the wire hole (32) in a vertical direction is higher than the liquid level.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a liquid leakage detection device. [Background technology]

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-362384 (Patent Document 1) discloses a water leakage detection device that is installed under the floor near places where water is used, such as the kitchen or bathroom of an apartment building. This water leakage detection device houses the device main body, power supply unit, alarm unit, and control unit within a casing, with the sensor unit located on the surface of the casing. The sensor unit is composed of two electrodes, and is configured so that a short circuit occurs between the electrodes when a water leak occurs. When the electrodes are shorted, the alarm unit issues an alarm using electricity from the power supply unit. The casing has a floating structure. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2004-362384 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The sensor unit is designed to detect leaks when it comes into contact with water, so it needs to be placed on the surface of the casing. By connecting this sensor unit to the alarm unit inside the casing with wiring, the alarm unit can receive signals from the sensor unit.

[0005] However, providing an opening (wiring hole) in the casing for drawing the wiring from the sensor unit into the casing raises concerns that water may seep into the casing through this wiring hole. Although Patent Document 1 uses a sealed casing, it does not particularly consider the above problem.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made to solve such problems, and the object of the present disclosure is to provide a leakage detection device that can prevent liquid from entering the inside of a container through a wiring hole for passing wiring connecting a sensor and a wireless communication device housed in the container. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A liquid leakage detection device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a sensor, a wireless communication device, wiring, a container, and a support member. The sensor detects liquid leakage in contact with the liquid and outputs a detection signal. The wireless communication device receives the detection signal from the sensor and transmits the detection signal to the outside of the device. The wiring connects the sensor and the wireless communication device. The container has an internal space that airtightly houses the wireless communication device. The support member supports the sensor and the container against an installation surface so as to be positioned vertically above the installation surface on which the liquid leakage detection device is installed. A wiring hole for inserting the wiring is formed in the container. When the liquid leakage detection device is floating above the liquid surface, the height of the wiring hole in the vertical direction is higher than the height of the liquid surface. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present disclosure, a leakage detection device can be provided that can prevent liquid from entering the inside of a container through a wiring hole for passing wiring connecting a sensor and a wireless communication device housed in the container. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of a liquid leakage detection device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a main body unit shown in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the inside of the container. [Figure 4] 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV shown in FIG. [Diagram 5] 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating the operation of the liquid leakage detection device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 6]5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating the operation of the liquid leakage detection device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 7] 13 is a diagram showing the relationship between the position of the wiring hole and the liquid level of the liquid W. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same or corresponding parts in the drawings are designated by the same reference characters and will not be described repeatedly.

[0011] <Configuration of the leakage detection device> Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a liquid leakage detection device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Fig. 1, liquid leakage detection device 100 according to the present embodiment is a device that is installed on a floor surface of a building or the like to be detected, and detects liquid leakage on the floor surface. In one aspect, liquid leakage detection device 100 is installed on the roof of a building, and used to detect rainwater accumulating on the roof. In another aspect, liquid leakage detection device 100 is installed in a basement, and used to detect water accumulating in the basement.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, the liquid leakage detection device 100 includes an enclosure portion 10 and a main body portion 20.

[0013] The main body 20 is installed on a surface (installation surface) 300 on which the liquid leakage detection device 100 is installed. The main body 20 has, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped outer shape. The main body 20 includes a sensor for detecting liquid leakage. The sensor is configured to be able to detect liquid leakage in a state in which the sensor is in contact with the liquid.

[0014] The enclosure 10 is attached to the upper surface of the main body 20. The enclosure 10 is formed so as to cover the upper and side surfaces of the main body 20. The enclosure 10 has, for example, a substantially box-like shape that opens vertically downward. The enclosure 10 is provided to prevent erroneous detection caused by rainwater getting on a sensor provided in the main body 20 when the leakage detection device 100 is installed outdoors.

[0015] Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the main body 20 shown in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 2, the main body 20 includes a container 30, a plurality of leg members 40A to 40D, a base portion 50, a sensor 60, and wiring 80.

[0016] The container 30 has, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The container 30 has an internal space that hermetically houses the wireless communication device (see FIG. 3). The container 30 and the enclosure 10 (FIG. 1) are formed of a material (e.g., plastic, etc.) that transmits a signal (radio wave) emitted by the wireless communication device. The shape of the container 30 is not limited to a rectangular parallelepiped, and may be a cylinder with circular top and bottom surfaces.

[0017] The multiple leg members 40A-40D support the container 30 on the installation surface 300. The multiple leg members 40A-40D extend vertically and are attached to the four corners of the bottom surface of the container 30, respectively. Supported by the multiple leg members 40A-40D, the container 30 is positioned vertically above the installation surface 300. The leg members 40A-40D do not have to be arranged at the four corners of the bottom surface of the container 30 as in FIG. 2, and may be arranged in any manner as long as they can support the container 30, and the number of leg members is not limited to four.

[0018] The base 50 is attached to the leg members 40A to 40D. The base 50 is formed of a rectangular thin plate. The base 50 is located between the container 30 and the installation surface 300.

[0019] The sensor 60 is placed on the base 50. The multiple leg members 40A-40D and the base 50 correspond to an embodiment of a “support member” that supports the sensor 60 and the container 30 with respect to the installation surface 300 so as to be positioned vertically above the installation surface 300.

[0020] The sensor 60 is, for example, a liquid leakage sensor or a liquid level sensor. In one aspect, the liquid leakage sensor is configured to include a liquid leakage detection band. The liquid leakage detection band has two electrodes. When liquid comes into contact with the liquid leakage detection band, a current flows between the two electrodes via the liquid, causing a change in the electrical resistance between the electrodes. The liquid leakage sensor is configured to detect liquid leakage based on this change in the electrical resistance and output a detection signal.

[0021] The liquid level sensor is, for example, a contact type liquid level sensor that measures the liquid level while in contact with the liquid. A pressure type water level sensor, which is an example of a contact type liquid level sensor, is configured to measure the liquid level by detecting the pressure of the liquid. The liquid level sensor outputs a detection signal that indicates the measured value of the liquid level.

[0022] The wiring 80 connects the sensor 60 and the wireless communication device housed in the container 30. The wiring 80 transmits a detection signal output from the sensor 60 to the wireless communication device. The wiring 80 is waterproofed.

[0023] Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the inside of the container 30. In Fig. 3, the inside of the container 30 is depicted in a see-through state.

[0024] 3, a wireless communication device 70 is accommodated in the internal space of the container 30. The wireless communication device 70 is communicatively connected to the sensor 60 via a wiring 80. The wireless communication device 70 receives a detection signal from the sensor 60 via the wiring 80.

[0025] The wireless communication device 70 transmits the detection signal received from the sensor 60 to the management server 200 using a communication method conforming to a wireless communication standard such as LPWA (Low Power Wide Area). The management server 200 is installed, for example, in a management company that manages a building. LPWA is a wireless communication technology that enables long-distance data communication with low power consumption. LPWA uses a low-speed narrow band, making long-distance data communication over 10 km possible. This enables the management server 200 to remotely monitor for leakage on the rooftop or basement of a building.

[0026] A wiring hole 32 for inserting a wiring 80 is formed on one side of the container 30. The wiring 80 passes through the wiring hole 32 and is connected to the wireless communication device 70 inside the container 30. If liquid gets on the wireless communication device 70, the electrical components that make up the wireless communication device 70 may break down. For this reason, it is necessary to prevent liquid from entering the inside of the container 30.

[0027] In this embodiment, the wiring hole 32 is formed so that the height of the wiring hole 32 in the vertical direction is higher than the height of the liquid surface when the leakage detection device 100 is floating on the liquid surface. As a result, even if leakage occurs, the liquid does not come into contact with the wiring hole 32, so that it is possible to prevent the liquid from entering the container 30 through the wiring hole 32. The arrangement of the wiring hole 32 will be described in detail later.

[0028] Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 4, the enclosure 10 opens vertically downward and covers the upper and side surfaces of the main body 20. The enclosure 10 prevents liquid (e.g., rainwater) falling from above in the vertical direction from getting on at least the sensor 60. In the example of Fig. 4, the vertical height of the bottom end of the enclosure 10 is made lower than the vertical height of the sensor 60, thereby preventing liquid from getting on the sensor 60.

[0029] The outer shape of the bottom 34 of the container 30 is an inverted pyramid shape whose width dimension gradually decreases vertically downward. Although not shown in the drawings, if the bottom surface of the container 30 is circular, the outer shape of the bottom 34 can be an inverted cone shape.

[0030] A weight 36 is attached to the bottom 34. This lowers the position of the center of gravity of the liquid leakage detection device 100. By lowering the position of the center of gravity, a force (restoring force) that tries to return the tilted liquid leakage detection device 100 to its original state when the liquid leakage detection device 100 is floating on the liquid surface can be generated. The restoring force is a force that tries to return a tilted vessel to its original state, and is generated when the line of action of the center of gravity is outside the line of action of buoyancy. By generating the restoring force, it is possible to prevent the liquid leakage detection device 100 from capsizing. Note that instead of a configuration in which the weight 36 is attached to the bottom 34, a configuration in which the bottom 34 and the weight 36 are integrated and the bottom 34 functions as a weight may be used.

[0031] <Operation of the leakage detection device> Next, the operation of the liquid leakage detection device 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 5 and 6. Figures 5 and 6 show cross-sectional views of the liquid leakage detection device 100.

[0032] 5(A) shows a state in which liquid W is beginning to accumulate on the installation surface 300. In this state, the level of liquid W is lower than the vertical height of the sensor 60, so the liquid is not in contact with the sensor 60. Therefore, the wireless communication device 70 does not receive a detection signal from the sensor 60, and as a result, does not transmit a detection signal.

[0033] 5(B), when the liquid W gradually rises and comes into contact with the sensor 60, the sensor 60 detects leakage of the liquid W and outputs a detection signal. The detection signal is transmitted to the wireless communication device 70 via the wiring 80. When the wireless communication device 70 receives the detection signal from the sensor 60, it transmits the received detection signal to the management server 200.

[0034] 6(A) shows a state in which the liquid level of the liquid W and the height in the vertical direction of the wireless communication device 70 are substantially the same. Even in this state, the wireless communication device 70 is airtightly accommodated inside the container 30, so that the liquid W does not get on the wireless communication device 70. Therefore, the wireless communication device 70 can transmit a detection signal from the sensor 60 to the management server 200.

[0035] As the level of the liquid W rises, the leakage detection device 100 floats on the liquid surface as shown in Fig. 6(B) . As described above, the weight 36 is attached to the bottom 34 of the container 30 to lower the center of gravity of the leakage detection device 100, thereby preventing the leakage detection device 100 from tipping over.

[0036] In this state in which the liquid leakage detection device 100 floats on the liquid surface, the height of the wiring hole 32 of the container 30 in the vertical direction is higher than the liquid level of the liquid W. Therefore, the liquid W does not come into contact with the wiring hole 32.

[0037] Fig. 7 is a diagram showing the relationship between the position of the wiring hole 32 and the liquid level of the liquid W. As shown in Fig. 7, when the liquid leakage detection device 100 floats on the liquid surface, the center of gravity and the center of buoyancy are located on the same vertical line. Gravity acting on the position of the center of gravity and buoyancy acting on the position of the center of buoyancy are balanced.

[0038] When the liquid leakage detection device 100 tilts, the position of the center of gravity remains the same, but the position of the center of buoyancy changes, resulting in a state in which gravity and buoyancy are not located on the same vertical line. In response to these two forces, a force (restoring force) acts on the liquid leakage detection device 100 trying to return it to its original position.

[0039] 7, the wiring hole 32 formed in the container 30 is located vertically above the liquid level of the liquid W, and therefore the liquid W does not come into contact with the wiring hole 32. As a result, it is possible to prevent the liquid W from entering the container 30 through the wiring hole 32.

[0040] That is, by determining the position of the wiring hole 32 so that the vertical height of the wiring hole 32 is higher than the liquid level of the liquid W when the liquid leakage detection device 100 is floating, it is possible to prevent liquid from splashing on the wireless communication device 70. Such a position of the wiring hole 32 can be derived by experiment or simulation based on the center of gravity, center of buoyancy, gravity, buoyancy, etc. of the liquid leakage detection device 100.

[0041] As described above, according to the liquid leakage detection device 100 of this embodiment, when the liquid leakage detection device 100 is floating on the liquid surface, the liquid does not come into contact with the wiring hole 32, and therefore it is possible to prevent the liquid from entering the container 30 through the wiring hole 32. Therefore, the wireless communication device 70 housed in the container 30 can continue to transmit the detection signal from the sensor 60 to the management server 200.

[0042] [Note] The above-described embodiment is a specific example of the following supplementary notes.

[0043] (Appendix 1) A liquid leakage detection device, comprising: a sensor that detects leakage of the liquid in a state where the liquid is in contact with the sensor and outputs a detection signal; a wireless communication device that receives the detection signal from the sensor and transmits the detection signal to an outside of the device; A wire connecting the sensor and the wireless communication device; a container having an internal space for airtightly housing the wireless communication device; a support member that supports the sensor and the container with respect to an installation surface on which the liquid leakage detection device is installed so as to be positioned vertically above the installation surface, The container has a wiring hole for inserting the wiring therethrough, A liquid leakage detection device, wherein when the liquid leakage detector is floating on the liquid surface, the height of the wiring hole in the vertical direction is higher than the height of the liquid surface.

[0044] (Appendix 2) 2. The leakage detection device according to claim 1, wherein the support member supports the sensor and the container so that the container is positioned vertically above the sensor.

[0045] (Appendix 3) 3. The leakage detection device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the container is cuboid or cylindrical in shape and has an inverted cone-shaped or inverted square pyramid-shaped bottom.

[0046] (Appendix 4) 4. The leakage detection device of claim 3, wherein the container further has a weight attached to the bottom.

[0047] (Appendix 5) 5. The leakage detection device according to claim 1, further comprising an enclosure formed to cover the upper and side surfaces of the container and the sensor.

[0048] (Appendix 6) 6. The liquid leakage detection device according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device transmits the detection signal to a management server.

[0049] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described, the embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present disclosure is defined by the claims, and it is intended to include all modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 10 enclosure, 20 main body, 30 container, 32 wiring hole, 34 bottom, 36 weight, 40A to 40D leg members, 50 base, 60 sensor, 70 wireless communication device, 80 wiring, 100 leakage detection device, 200 management server, 300 installation surface, W liquid.

Claims

1. A liquid leakage detection device, comprising: a sensor that detects leakage of the liquid in a state where the liquid is in contact with the sensor and outputs a detection signal; a wireless communication device that receives the detection signal from the sensor and transmits the detection signal to an outside of the device; A wire connecting the sensor and the wireless communication device; a container having an internal space for airtightly housing the wireless communication device; a support member that supports the sensor and the container with respect to an installation surface on which the liquid leakage detection device is installed so as to be positioned vertically above the installation surface, The container has a wiring hole for inserting the wiring therethrough, A liquid leakage detection device, wherein when the liquid leakage detection device is floating on the liquid surface, a height of the wiring hole in the vertical direction is higher than a height of the liquid surface.

2. The liquid leakage detection device according to claim 1 , wherein the support member supports the sensor and the container such that the container is positioned vertically above the sensor.

3. 2. The liquid leakage detection device according to claim 1, wherein the container is shaped like a rectangular parallelepiped or a cylinder, and has an inverted cone-shaped or inverted square pyramid-shaped bottom.

4. The liquid leakage detection device according to claim 3 , wherein the container further comprises a weight attached to the bottom.

5. The liquid leakage detection device according to claim 1 , further comprising an enclosure formed to cover an upper surface and a side surface of the container and the sensor.

6. The liquid leakage detection device according to claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication device transmits the detection signal to a management server.

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