Patent ID: 6526807
Filing Date: 2003-03-04
Classification: G01M

Abstract:
For a multi-dwelling building with a plurality dwelling units, each said dwelling unit having a plurality of water-dependent appliances and water-carrying pipes, a water leak detection apparatus providing warning of a water leak in at least one of said plurality of water-dependent appliances and said water-carrying pipes for at lest one of said plurality of dwelling units, said water leak detection apparatus comprising:a plurality of flexible probe means for determining the location and extent of said water leak in at least one of said plurality of water-dependent appliances and said water-carrying pipes in at least one of said plurality of dwelling units; each of said probe means of said plurality of probe means assigned an ID number for identifying each said dwelling unit and configured for attachment to at least one of said plurality of water-dependent appliances and said water-carying pipes for each said dwelling unit; a central control housing means configured for installation in said multidwelling building for housing a circuit means and having multiconductor cable means for electrically interconnecting said plurality of water-dependent appliances and said water-carrying pipes with a plurality of sensor means encased within said plurality of probe means, each of said plurality of sensor means coded corresponding to each conductor of said multiconductor cable means; said central control housing means having a plurality of display means electrically interconnected with said circuit means for indicating the location and extent of said water leak in said plurality of dwelling units of said multi-dwelling building; said plurality of transmission means including a database that stores information for each said assigned ID number that describes each appliance of said plurality of water-dependent appliances and each pipe of said plurality of water-carrying pipes, and enumerating a plurality of predetermined telephone numbers and a plurality of voice and data warning and alert messages responsive to said water leak detection; each of said plurality of transmission means including programmable processor means responsive to said location and extent of said water leak in at least one of said dwelling units of said plurality of dwelling units, for retrieving corresponding information from said database for communicating a selected message from said database of a plurality of predetermined warning and alert messages to said remote receiving means; and electrical power means interconnected with said central housing means for driving said circuit means.