Leak detection device

Abstract

To provide a liquid leakage detection device that allows selection of a detection unit according to a location desired to detect.SOLUTION: A liquid leakage detection device 100 includes: connection terminal portions 105a for connecting a linear liquid leakage detection unit 101 having linear electrode portions 101a and 101b which are a pair of linear electrodes; a point-like liquid leakage detection unit 103 having point-like electrode portions 103a and 103b which are a pair of point-like electrodes connected to the connection terminal portions 105a; a liquid leakage determination unit 105b that determines occurrence of liquid leakage using a voltage between the connection terminal portions 105a; and a communication unit 109 that transmits liquid leakage occurrence information when the liquid leakage determination unit 105b determines that liquid leakage has occurred.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid leak detection device, and more particularly to one that is easy to install. [Background technology]

[0002] A conventional liquid leakage detection device will be described using the water intrusion and leakage detection device shown in Figure 6. The water intrusion and leakage detection device shown in Figure 6 is characterized by comprising a detection wire made by twisting together two wire cores, each wire core having a low water absorption and water permeable insulating layer applied to an electrode conductor, and further provided with a water permeable protective coating layer on top of that, a terminating resistor connected between the two conductors at the end of the detection wire as needed, an AC or DC power source connected between the two conductors at the start end via a resistor, and an abnormality detection circuit connected to the start end via a rectifier circuit if the power source is AC, or without a rectifier circuit if the power source is DC, and a wire break indication relay circuit and a water intrusion and leakage indication relay circuit that are respectively activated by the output of this circuit when the input to the abnormality detection circuit falls outside a predetermined upper and lower limit reference voltage range (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 57-97265 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The above-mentioned water intrusion and leakage detection device has the following points that need to be improved. The above-mentioned water intrusion and leakage detection device detects water intrusion and leakage using a water leakage sensor that uses a detection line that is relatively long, i.e., a linear detection line, but other sensors, such as spot water leakage sensors that have point-like electrodes, cannot detect water leakage. In other words, there is an point that needs to be improved, in that it is not possible to select a sensor that is appropriate for the location where detection is desired.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a liquid leakage detection device that allows a detection unit to be selected according to the location where detection is desired. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] The means for solving the problems in the present invention and the effects of the invention are as follows.

[0007] The leakage detection device of the present invention includes a connection terminal portion for connecting a linear leakage detection portion having a linear electrode portion which is a pair of linear electrodes, a point leakage detection portion having a point electrode portion which is a pair of point electrodes connected to the connection terminal portion, a leakage determination portion for determining the occurrence of leakage using the voltage between the connection terminal portions, and a communication portion for transmitting leakage occurrence information when the leakage determination portion determines that leakage has occurred.

[0008] This allows the point leak detector and / or the line leak detector to be selected as needed to detect leaks.

[0009] In the leakage detection device of the present invention, the leakage determination unit determines the occurrence of leakage by comparing a predetermined reference voltage between the connection terminal portions with the measured voltage between the connection terminal portions.

[0010] This allows for simultaneous detection of leakage using the point leakage detector and / or the line leakage detector with a simple configuration.

[0011] The leakage detection device of the present invention further includes a disconnection determination unit that, when the linear leakage detection unit is connected to the connection terminal unit, determines whether a disconnection has occurred in the linear leakage detection unit using the voltage between the connection terminal unit.

[0012] This makes it possible to determine whether a wire break has occurred in the line leakage detector when the line leakage detector is used.

[0013] In the leakage detection device of the present invention, the open circuit determination unit determines the occurrence of an open circuit in the linear leakage detection unit by comparing a predetermined reference voltage between the connection terminal units with the measured voltage between the connection terminal units when the linear leakage detection unit is connected to the connection terminal units.

[0014] This makes it possible to determine with a simple configuration whether a wire break has occurred in the line leakage detector when the line leakage detector is used.

[0015] The liquid leakage detection device of the present invention is characterized by having a housing portion that houses at least the liquid leakage judgment portion, and a housing that arranges the point electrodes of the point leakage detection portion along the back surface, and the housing portion has a slit portion that takes in leaked liquid from the outside to the point electrodes.

[0016] This makes it possible to determine the occurrence of leakage even when the point leakage detector is disposed on the rear surface of the housing.

[0017] In the liquid leakage detection device of the present invention, the housing unit is characterized by having an operation unit that instructs the operation of the liquid leakage judgment unit and / or the open circuit judgment unit, and a display unit that displays the judgment made by the liquid leakage judgment unit and / or the open circuit judgment unit.

[0018] This allows the operation of the leakage detection unit and the disconnection detection unit to be easily controlled using the operation unit, and the results of the leakage detection unit and the disconnection detection unit can be confirmed simply by checking the display unit. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a liquid leakage detection device 100 which is an embodiment of a liquid leakage detection device according to the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a control unit 105 of the liquid leakage detection device 100. FIG. [Figure 3]1A and 1B are diagrams showing the configuration of a housing 111 of a liquid leakage detection device 100, where FIG. 1A shows a state seen from the front side, and FIG. 1B shows a state seen from the rear side. [Figure 4] 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating a method of using the liquid leakage detection device 100. [Figure 5] 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating a method of using the liquid leakage detection device 100. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a conventional liquid leakage detection device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. [Example]

[0021] A water leakage detection device according to the present invention will be described using as an example a liquid leakage detection device 100. The liquid leakage detection device 100 is a device that detects leakage of a predetermined liquid, such as water, in a predetermined area.

[0022] 1. Configuration of the liquid leakage detection device 100 1 shows an overview of the liquid leakage detection device 100. The liquid leakage detection device 100 includes a line leakage detection unit 101, a point leakage detection unit 103, a control unit 105, a communication unit 107, and a power supply unit 109.

[0023] The linear liquid leakage detection unit 101 has two linear electrodes 101a, a linear electrode 101b, a terminating resistor 101c, and a connection end 101d. The linear electrode 101a has a predetermined length and is arranged in parallel at a predetermined interval. The linear electrode 101a is formed of a predetermined metal, for example, stainless steel. The linear electrode 101b is similar to the linear electrode 101a. The linear electrode 101a and the linear electrode 101b are integrated by an insulating member. Furthermore, the linear electrode 101a and the linear electrode 101b are partially exposed to the insulating member and are configured to come into contact with the liquid when a leak occurs.

[0024] The terminating resistor 101c is disposed at one end of each of the linear electrode portions 101a and 101b so as to connect the linear resistor 101a and the linear electrode portion 101b to each other. That is, the linear electrode portion 101a and the linear electrode portion 101b are connected to each other via the terminating resistor 101c. The terminating resistor 101c is set to have a resistance value equivalent to the resistance value of the connection between the connection terminal portion 105a and the leakage determination portion 105b (described later) of the control portion 105.

[0025] The connection end 101d is arranged at an end different from the ends connected to the linear electrode portion 101a, the linear electrode portion 101b, and their respective termination resistors 101c. If necessary, the connection end 101d is connected to a connection terminal portion 105a (described later) of the control portion 105, and the linear leakage detection portion 101 is used to detect the occurrence of leakage.

[0026] The point leak detector 103 has a point electrode portion 103a, a point electrode portion 103b, and a connection end portion 103c. The point electrode portion 103a has a length shorter than the linear electrode portion 101a of the linear leak detector 101. The point electrode portion 103a is formed of a predetermined metal, for example, stainless steel. The point electrode portion 103b is similar to the point electrode portion 103a.

[0027] The connection end 103c is disposed at one end of each of the point electrode portion 103a and the point electrode portion 103b. By connecting the connection end 103c to a connection terminal portion 105a (described later) of the control portion 105, the occurrence of leakage can be detected using the point leakage detection portion 103.

[0028] The spot leak detector 103 is always connected to a connection terminal 105a (described later) of the controller 105.

[0029] The control unit 105 has a connection terminal unit 105a, a leakage determination unit 105b, and a wire breakage determination unit 105c. The connection terminal unit 105a is connected to the connection end 101d of the line leakage detection unit 101 and / or the connection end 103c of the point leakage detection unit 103. By connecting the connection end 101d of the line leakage detection unit 101 and / or the connection end 103c of the point leakage detection unit 103 to the connection terminal unit 105a, the line leakage detection unit 101 and / or the point leakage detection unit 103 can be used to detect the occurrence of leakage.

[0030] The liquid leakage determination unit 105b determines whether or not a liquid leakage has occurred by using the voltage between the connection ends 101d of the line leakage detection unit 101 and / or the connection ends 103c of the point leakage detection unit 103. The liquid leakage determination unit 105b determines whether or not a liquid leakage has occurred by using the voltage between the connection ends 101d of the line leakage detection unit 101 and / or the connection ends 103c of the point leakage detection unit 103. TH1 When the voltage between the connection terminals 105a is lower than the voltage between the connection terminals 105a, it is determined that a liquid leak has occurred. In other words, the liquid leakage determination unit 105b determines the occurrence of a liquid leak using the voltage between the connection end 101d of the line leak detection unit 101 and / or the connection end 103c of the point leak detection unit 103. In this way, by determining the occurrence of a liquid leak using the voltage between the connection end 101d of the line leak detection unit 101 and / or the connection end 103c of the point leak detection unit 103, it is possible to detect a liquid leak with a simple configuration.

[0031] The disconnection determination unit 105c determines whether or not a disconnection has occurred in the electric circuit during leakage detection by using the voltage between the connection ends 101d of the line leakage detection unit 101 and / or the connection ends 103c of the point leakage detection unit 103. The disconnection determination unit 105c determines whether or not a disconnection has occurred in the electric circuit during leakage detection by using the voltage between the connection ends 101d of the line leakage detection unit 101 and / or the connection ends 103c of the point leakage detection unit 103. TH2When the voltage between the connection terminals 105a becomes higher than the voltage between the connection terminals 105a, the disconnection determination unit 105c determines that a disconnection has occurred. In other words, the disconnection determination unit 105c determines the occurrence of a disconnection using the voltage between the connection end 101d of the line leakage detection unit 101 and / or the connection end 103c of the point leakage detection unit 103. In this way, by determining the occurrence of a disconnection using the voltage between the connection end 101d of the line leakage detection unit 101 and / or the connection end 103c of the point leakage detection unit 103, the occurrence of a disconnection and the occurrence of a leak can be detected simultaneously with a simple configuration.

[0032] The communication unit 107 is connected to the control unit 105. The communication unit 107 connects to a predetermined network, for example, a wireless LAN network, communicates with a predetermined communication device, and wirelessly transmits various information such as leakage occurrence information.

[0033] The power supply unit 109 has a predetermined power source, and supplies power obtained from the power source to each component such as the control unit 105 and the communication unit 107. The power supply unit 109 uses, for example, a button battery as the power source.

[0034] The configuration of the leakage determination unit 105b and the disconnection determination unit 105c of the control unit 105 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. The leakage determination unit 105b has two resistors R1 and R2 connected in series, two resistors R3 and R4 connected in series, and a connection terminal unit 105a arranged so that the linear leakage detection unit 101 and / or the point leakage detection unit 103 are connected in parallel to the resistor R4. The voltage measured at the connection point P1 between the resistors R1 and R2 is set to a reference voltage V TH1 The voltage measured at the connection point P2 between the resistors R3 and R4 is V1, and the reference voltage V TH1 The occurrence of a liquid leak is determined by comparing the voltage V1 with the voltage V2. The resistance value of resistor R4 is set in advance to be higher than the electrical resistance value of the liquid that is the object of leak detection.

[0035] When leakage occurs and the linear electrode portion 101a and the linear electrode portion 101b of the linear leakage detection unit 101 are electrically connected, the voltage V1 becomes lower than when no leakage occurs. TH1 If it is determined that the temperature is lower than the threshold, the leakage occurrence information is transmitted to the communication unit 107.

[0036] The disconnection determination unit 105c has two resistors R5 and R6 connected in series, two resistors R3 and R4 connected in series, and a connection terminal unit 105a. The connection terminal unit 105a is connected in parallel with the resistor R4 to the line leakage detection unit 101 and / or the point leakage detection unit 103, and further to the terminating resistor unit 101c of the line leakage detection unit 101 as a combined resistor. The voltage measured at the connection point P3 between the resistors R5 and R6 is used as a reference voltage V TH2 , the voltage measured between the connection terminals 105a is defined as voltage V2, and the reference voltage V TH2 By comparing this with voltage V2, it is determined whether a break has occurred.

[0037] The leakage determination unit 105b determines whether the combined resistance of the termination resistor 101c connected to the disconnection determination unit 105c is greater than or equal to the reference voltage V TH1 If the value is lower than the reference voltage V, it will be erroneously detected as a water leak. TH1 The values ​​of the termination resistor 101c and each resistor are adjusted so that the value does not become lower than the value.

[0038] When a disconnection occurs and the electrical path via the line leak detector 101 and / or the point leak detector 103 is lost, the voltage V2 at the connection point P4 becomes higher than when no disconnection occurs. TH2 If it is determined that the voltage is higher than the threshold voltage, the disconnection occurrence information is transmitted to the communication unit 107.

[0039] Housing 111 houses control unit 105. The appearance of housing 111 is shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 3A shows housing 111 as viewed from the front side, and Fig. 3B shows housing 111 as viewed from the rear side.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 3A, the housing 111 has a rectangular pillar shape. The housing 111 is assembled into one piece by fitting, taking drip-proofing and waterproofing into consideration. The housing 111 has a slit portion 111a, an operation portion 111b, a status display portion 111c, and a fixing portion 111d. The slit portion 111a is arranged along the bottom edge of each side surface of the housing 111. The slit portion 111a is formed by a plurality of holes that connect the inside and outside of the housing 111.

[0041] The slit portion 111a is arranged to guide leaking liquid to the interior, rear side of the casing portion 111 so that leakage can be detected using the point leakage detection unit 103 (see FIG. 3B) arranged on the rear side inside the casing portion 111, and to discharge leaking liquid that has entered the inside of the casing portion 111. Furthermore, the slit portion 111a is arranged as a hole of a size that prevents insects, dust, etc. from entering the inside of the casing portion 111, in order to prevent malfunction due to the intrusion of insects, dust, etc.

[0042] When connecting the linear liquid leakage detection unit 101 to the slit portion 111a, a split may be added to remove the wall between adjacent holes so that a harness can be passed through that connects the connection end portion 101d of the linear liquid leakage detection unit 101 and the connection terminal portion 105a of the control unit 105. When using the linear liquid leakage detection unit 101, cutting the wall along the split portion and passing the harness for the linear liquid leakage detection unit 101 through it can prevent the harness from floating off the installation surface of the housing portion 111.

[0043] The operation unit 111b is a button used to instruct various operations to the control unit 105 of the liquid leakage detection device 100. For example, when detecting leakage using only the point leakage detection unit 103, an operation mode can be selected that disables the determination by the disconnection determination unit 105c. This is to prevent the disconnection determination unit 105c from constantly determining that a disconnection has occurred when no leakage is being detected, because the point leakage detection unit 103 does not have an end-point resistor when detecting leakage using only the point leakage detection unit 103.

[0044] The status display unit 111c displays the operating status of the liquid leakage detection device 100. For example, when the liquid leakage detection device 100 is not detecting a liquid leakage, the status display unit 111c displays green; when the liquid leakage detection device 100 is detecting a liquid leakage, the status display unit 111c displays red; and when a disconnection occurs, the status display unit 111c displays yellow. This allows the user to check the status of the liquid leakage detection device 100, such as the occurrence of a liquid leakage or a disconnection, in real time by simply checking the status display unit 111c, without having to check the occurrence of a liquid leakage or a disconnection based on the leakage occurrence information or disconnection occurrence information transmitted via the communication unit 107. The fixing unit 111d is a hole used to fix the liquid leakage detection device 100 to a desired location using a screw, bolt, or the like to prevent the liquid leakage detection device 100 from being washed away in the event of a liquid leakage.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 3B, a connection terminal 105a is arranged inside the housing 111 on the rear side. A connection end 103c continuing from the point electrode 103a and point electrode 103b of the point leakage detection unit 103 is connected to the connection terminal 105a. As shown in FIG. 3A, the point leakage detection unit 103 is arranged so as to be housed inside the housing 111 when viewed from the front side. The point electrode 103a and point electrode 103b of the point leakage detection unit 103 detect the occurrence of leakage by coming into contact with leaking liquid that has entered the housing 111 through the slit 111a of the housing 111.

[0046] 2. Arrangement of the liquid leakage detection device 100 An example of the arrangement of the liquid leakage detection device 100 will be described with reference to Figs. 4 and 5. When using a linear liquid leakage detection unit 101, by arranging the linear liquid leakage detection unit 101 horizontally on a wall as shown in Fig. 4A, it is possible to detect, for example, a liquid leakage that occurs as if it is flowing vertically along a wall. Also, by arranging the linear liquid leakage detection unit 101 so as to form a rectangle on the floor as shown in Fig. 4B, it is possible to detect a liquid leakage that flows out from within the rectangle or that flows in from outside the rectangle.

[0047] Furthermore, when using the point leak detector 103, as shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of point leak detectors 103 may be arranged in a matrix at locations where it is desired to detect leaks.

[0048] Furthermore, by simultaneously using the line leakage detection unit 101 and the point leakage detection unit 103 as shown in Figures 4 and 5, that is, by connecting the connection end 101d of the line leakage detection unit 101 and the connection end 103c of the point leakage detection unit 103 in parallel to the connection terminal portion 105a of the control unit 105, leakage can be detected at different locations and by different detection methods.

[0049] [Other embodiments] (1) Leakage determination unit 105b: In the above-mentioned Example 1, the leakage determination unit 105b was mainly configured using resistors R1 to R4, but is not limited to the example shown, as long as it determines the occurrence of leakage using the voltage between the linear electrode portions 101a, 101b of the linear leakage detection unit 101 connected to the connection terminal portion 105a and / or the voltage between the point electrode portions 103a, 103b of the point leakage detection unit 103.

[0050] (2) Disconnection determination unit 105c: In the above-mentioned Example 1, the disconnection determination unit 105c was mainly configured using resistors R5 and R6, but is not limited to the example as long as it determines the occurrence of a disconnection using the voltage between the linear electrode portions 101a, 101b of the linear leakage detection unit 101 connected to the connection terminal portion 105a and / or the voltage between the point electrode portions 103a, 103b of the point leakage detection unit 103.

[0051] (3) Communication unit 107: In the first embodiment, the communication unit 107 communicates using a wireless LAN, but it may also communicate via a base station using a mobile phone line or the like. Also, a communication method that enables "long-distance data communication" with "low current consumption" compatible with so-called LPWA (Low Power, Wide Area), such as Sigfox (registered trademark), may also be used.

[0052] Furthermore, instead of wireless communication, wired communication such as Ethernet or MobBus may be used.

[0053] (4) Power Supply Unit 109: In the first embodiment described above, the power supply unit 109 uses a button battery, but is not limited to the illustrated one as long as it can supply enough power to operate each component. For example, a predetermined battery such as a dry cell battery or a solar cell may be used, or power may be received from a commonly installed AC outlet or a storage battery. Furthermore, contactless power supply, so-called wireless power supply, or various types of environmental power generation may be used.

[0054] (5) Detection target: In the above-described first embodiment, water was used as the detection target, but the detection target is not limited to the example, as long as it is a liquid that exists between the linear electrode portions 101a and 101b of the linear liquid leakage detection unit 101, electrically connects both electrodes, and reduces resistance. For example, animal urine and insect excretion liquid can be detected as the detection target.

[0055] (6) Heat detection unit: In the above-described first embodiment, a heat detection unit that can detect the movement of heat sources such as living organisms may be further provided. This allows animals such as mice to be detected not only by the discharged liquid but also by the thermal changes that occur when they move.

[0056] (7) Detection target: In the first embodiment, the change in resistance value is determined by a threshold value. However, this may be changed or added to a configuration in which an AD converter is used to observe the change in resistance value. This allows changes in the components of the liquid to be detected when the target is immersed in the liquid. In this case, a temperature sensor may be installed to correct the change due to temperature changes.

[0057] (8) Housing 111: In the first embodiment, the housing 111 is shaped like a rectangular pillar, but it may be shaped like a cylinder or a hemisphere, or may have other shapes for ease of installation or design reasons.

[0058] (9) Notification of Leakage and Disconnection: In the first embodiment described above, notification of leakage and disconnection is transmitted as leakage occurrence information and disconnection occurrence information to a predetermined communication terminal via the communication unit 107, but this is not limited to the example. For example, the leakage detection device may be provided with an alarm sound generating unit that generates an alarm sound such as a buzzer when leakage or elasticity occurs. Also, a vibration generating unit that generates vibrations, such as those found in smartphones, when leakage or elasticity occurs may be provided. [Industrial Applicability]

[0059] The liquid leakage detection device of the present invention can be used in places where it is necessary to check for the occurrence of a liquid leakage, such as near wet areas in buildings or ordinary homes, in attics where there is a possibility of rain leaks, or in warehouses or factories where there is a risk of flooding. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 100 Leak detection device 101 Linear leak detector 101a Linear electrode part 101b Linear electrode part 101c Terminal resistor section 101d Connection end 103 Spot leak detector 103a Point electrode part 103b Point electrode part 103c Connection end 105 Control Unit 105a Connection terminal 105b Leakage judgment part 105c Disconnection detection unit 107 Communications Department 109 Power supply section 111 Housing 111a Slit section 111b Operation section 111c Status display section 111d Fixed part VTH1 Reference voltage VTH2 reference voltage V1 voltage V2 voltage R1 Resistor R2 resistance R3 resistance R4 resistance R5 resistance R6 resistance P1 connection point P2 connection point P3 connection point P4 Attachment Point

Claims

1. a connection terminal portion for connecting a linear liquid leakage detection portion having a linear electrode portion that is a pair of linear electrodes; a point leakage detection unit having a point electrode unit which is a pair of point electrodes connected to the connection terminal unit; a leakage determination unit that determines the occurrence of leakage using a voltage between the connection terminals; a communication unit that transmits leakage occurrence information when the leakage determination unit determines that leakage has occurred; A liquid leakage detection device having the same.

2. 2. The liquid leakage detection device according to claim 1, The leakage determination unit determining whether a leakage has occurred by comparing a predetermined reference voltage between the connection terminals with a measured voltage between the connection terminals; A liquid leakage detection device characterized by the above.

3. The liquid leakage detection device according to claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising: a disconnection determination unit that determines the occurrence of a disconnection in the linear liquid leakage detection unit using a voltage between the connection terminal units when the linear liquid leakage detection unit is connected to the connection terminal units; A liquid leakage detection device having the same.

4. 4. The liquid leakage detection device according to claim 3, The disconnection determination unit determining whether or not a break has occurred in the line leakage detector by comparing a predetermined reference voltage between the connection terminals with a voltage measured between the connection terminals when the line leakage detector is connected to the connection terminals; A liquid leakage detection device characterized by the above.

5. 5. The liquid leakage detection device according to claim 4, a housing that houses at least the liquid leakage determination unit, the housing having the point electrode unit of the point leakage detection unit disposed along the back surface; and The housing part is having a slit portion for taking in leaked liquid from the outside to the point electrode portion; A liquid leakage detection device characterized by the above.

6. 6. The liquid leakage detection device according to claim 5, The housing part is an operation unit for instructing the operation of the leakage determination unit and / or the disconnection determination unit; a display unit that displays the determination made by the leakage determination unit and / or the disconnection determination unit; having A liquid leakage detection device characterized by the above.

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