Abstract:
A leak detection device is provided with an elongated handle having a head member disposed at one end. The device has a low profile for easy insertion beneath an appliance. The head member is configured to be easily oriented around wheels or other supports while positioning a testing arm below the water line connection. The device is adaptable for use with appliances having different configurations of wheels and can easily be reused. The function of the device lends itself to simple and inexpensive manufacture.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to leak detection devices and more particularly to a manual leak detector that is adaptable for use in detecting water connection leaks on appliances having different wheel or support configurations. 
   DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
   The advent of icemaker and water taps for refrigerators greatly increased the level of convenience in the kitchen. These systems are typically coupled to a water line so that the system can function automatically. The water line is oftentimes connected to the refrigerator at the lower end of its back side. Once the water line is connected, the installer moves the refrigerator into its final position against the wall. Wheels or other similar supports extend from the bottom of the refrigerator and help in moving the refrigerator into and out of position for installation and maintenance. However, when moving the refrigerator into position, it is common to pinch or otherwise damage the water line connection at or near the point it enters the refrigerator. When this occurs, water may slowly begin to leak from the water line connection unbeknownst to the installer. The gradual leak continues until water has permeated the floor beneath the refrigerator and the adjacent walls. Before the homeowner realizes that the leak has occurred, thousands of dollars of damage can be caused. This situation can also occur during the installation of many other appliances, such as clothes washers, dishwashers, stand-alone icemakers, etc. 
   There is currently no industry standard or guidelines for the installer to follow for checking for leaks from the water line connection after an appliance has been installed. To be sure, the orientation of the appliance in most household settings does not provide the installer with easy access to the rear panel of the appliance, where the water line connection is typically located. It is also just as common that the position of the appliance within custom cabinetry or its placement next to walls and built-in cabinetry deny the installer easy access to either side of the appliance. Moving the appliance back out of position to check the water line connection is not an easy task; but more importantly, the installer risks damage to the floor coverings by moving the appliance back and forth, not to mention the fact that the additional movement places further risk of damage to the water line connection. Accordingly, installers are often left with the only available option of hoping that they can look beneath the appliance with a flashlight at different angles to see if any water has begun to leak from the connection. However, as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the wheel placement may be different from appliance to appliance. Moreover, the placement of the water line connection is typically at a location that is behind one or more wheels. Accordingly, the installer is provided with little opportunity to see the area immediately surrounding the water line connection. 
   Some prior art devices have been developed to sense the presence of moisture in certain areas and emit an alarm. Certainly, such a system would work for detecting water leaks from the water line connector of an appliance. However, such a system is typically expensive and complex. Moreover, after the first couple of days, if a leak has not occurred, one is not likely to occur unless the refrigerator is moved out of its final position for maintenance and then moved back into position. Due to the infrequency of moving refrigerators into and out of position, expensive and/or complex leak detection systems are highly impractical. 
   Accordingly, what is needed is a relatively cheap and inexpensive leak detection system that is easy to implement by an appliance installer or a homeowner. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The leak detection device of the present invention is generally provided with an elongated handle and a head member disposed at one end of the handle. The handle and head member have low profiles to permit them to be easily slid beneath an appliance from its front side. The head member is provided with a testing arm that preferably extends away from the long axis of the handle. Accordingly, the device can be slid beneath the refrigerator until the testing arm has passed an obstacle, such as a wheel, that is placed under the refrigerator in front of the water line connection. The user then simply slides the device laterally to position the testing arm below the water line connection. Once in position, the length of the handle can be trimmed so that the handle does not protrude from beneath the appliance. This permits the unit to be left in position for hours, days, or longer. After any duration of time, the individual simply removes the device from beneath the refrigerator and checks the head member for moisture. 
   The head member is also provided with an extension arm that moves the center line of the head member away from the long axis of the handle. In this offset position, a user is able to first move the testing arm around a wheel placed near the front of the appliance and then slide the unit to the rear of the refrigerator, placing the testing arm below the water line connection while avoiding the awkward positioning of wheels positioned to the rear of the refrigerator. Alternate embodiments may include the disposition of water soluble inks on the head member to enhance the visual evidence of moisture on the head member. 
   It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide a leak detection device that quickly and easily checks for leaks from the water line connection of an appliance. 
   A further object of the present invention is to provide a leak detection device that is adaptable for detecting leaks from appliances having various wheel/support configurations. 
   Still another object of the present invention is to provide a leak detection device that indicates the presence of leaks even if the fluid has subsequently evaporated. 
   Still another object of the present invention is to provide a leak detection device that may be left in a leak detecting position indefinitely. 
   A further object of the present invention is to provide a leak detection device that can be quickly and easily placed into a leak detection position and later removed for storage at another location. 
   Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a leak detection device that is reusable. 
   Still another object of the present invention is to provide a leak detection device that is relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture. 
   These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention as the same could be used to detect a leak from a refrigerator; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of one embodiment of the leak detector of the present invention; 
       FIG. 3  depicts an embodiment of the leak detector of the present invention as the same could be used to detect a leak from a water supply line of an appliance having a particular configuration of refrigerator supports; 
       FIG. 4  depicts the leak detector of  FIG. 3  as the same could be used to detect a leak from a water supply line of an appliance having an alternate configuration of refrigerator supports; and 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the leak detector of the present invention as the same could be used to detect a leak from a clothes washer. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   The leak detecting device  10  of the present invention is generally depicted in  FIGS. 1–4  as having a handle  12  and a head member  14 . The handle  12  is preferably elongated, having a first end portion  16  and a second end portion  18 . The head member  14  is provided with a rearward end portion  20  and a forward end portion  22 . The rearward end portion  20  of the head member  14  is secured to the second end portion  18  of the handle  12 . 
   Together, the handle  12  and the head member  14  are shaped to have a thin profile. This permits the device  10  to be easily slid beneath an appliance, such as the refrigerator  24 , which is supported above the floor by a plurality of wheels  26 . Typically, the appliance is provided with a pair of wheels  26 , or other similar type of support, such as a glide or foot peg, adjacent the front side  28  of the appliance. An additional pair of wheels  26  or similar type of support is typically positioned adjacent the back side  30  of the appliance. However, the wheels  26  adjacent the back side  30  are typically positioned in one of two different arrangements in most appliances. The wheels  26  may be positioned adjacent the corners of the appliance, as depicted in  FIG. 4 , or the rear wheels  26  may be moved inwardly, as depicted in  FIG. 3 . A fluid connection line  32  extends from the back side  30  of the appliance and is typically positioned closely adjacent one of the lower corners of the back side  30 . 
   In order to test for a fluid leak from the fluid connection  32 , without first moving the appliance from its position adjacent the wall, it is important to be able to get the head member  14  below the fluid connection  32 . The positioning of the wheels  26  creates a challenge in attaining this goal, since an object cannot be simply slid straight from the front side  28  to the back side  30  of the appliance to position the head member  14  below the fluid connection  32 , as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . Accordingly, the head member  14  is preferably shaped to have a testing arm  34  that extends away from the long axis  36  of the handle  12 . Although the testing arm  34  is depicted in  FIG. 2  as extending generally perpendicular to the long axis  36  of the handle  12 , it is contemplated that the testing arm  34  could extend at angles greater to or less than 90° with respect to the long axis  36 . It is further contemplated that the testing arm  34  could extend outwardly from the long axis  36  in a generally arcing direction. Moreover, although the testing arm  34  is generally depicted in  FIG. 2  as being formed in the forward end portion  22  of the head member  14 , it is generally contemplated that the entire head member  14  could be shaped as a single testing arm  34 . Extending the testing arm  34  outwardly from the long axis  36  of the handle  12  permits the user to simply slide the device  10  from the front side  28  of the appliance to the back side  30  and then simply slide the device  10  laterally until the testing arm  34  is positioned below the fluid connection  32 , as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . 
   The embodiment of the head member  14  depicted in  FIG. 2  is provided with an extending arm  38 , which like the testing arm  34  extends outwardly from the long axis  36  of the handle  12 . Similarly, the extending arm  38  could extend perpendicularly to the long axis  36 , and it could also be shaped to extend at any different angle or arcuate direction therefrom. The head member  14  depicted in  FIG. 2  is also provided with a lengthening arm  40 , which extends between the testing arm  34  and the extending arm  38 . Although the lengthening arm  40  is depicted as being positioned generally parallel to the long axis  36  of the handle  12 , it is contemplated that the lengthening arm  40  could be disposed at any angle with respect to the long axis  36 . Together, the extending arm  38  and the lengthening arm  40  serve to position the testing arm forwardly and laterally of the second end  18  of the handle  12 . 
   The testing arm  34  and lengthening arm  40  are preferably positioned with respect to one another so that when the lengthening arm is positioned adjacent the side of a wheel  26 , as depicted in  FIG. 4 , the testing arm  34  is disposed to the rear of the wheel  26 . This permits the testing arm  34  to “reach around” the wheel  26 . The extending arm  38  and lengthening arm  40  are preferably positioned with respect to one another such that when the lengthening arm is positioned along one side of the wheel  26 , the extending arm  38  is positioned in front of and along the width of the wheel  26 . A combination of these arm positions permits the user to avoid the wheels  26  when they are disposed in the configuration depicted in  FIG. 3 . First, the user positions the testing arm  34  so that it is behind the wheel  26  adjacent the front side  28  of the appliance. This permits the device  10  to be slid straight back to the back side  30 . The orientation of the extending arm  38  positions the lengthening arm  40  a sufficient distance from the wheel  26  adjacent the back side  30 . The length of the lengthening arm  40  may be provided such that the testing arm would be properly disposed below the fluid connection  32  despite the fact that the positioning of the wheel  26  would not permit the extending arm  38  to advance further to the rear of the appliance. 
   The head member  14  generally has a first upper surface  42  and a second lower surface  44 . It is these surfaces which will receive any fluid escaping from the fluid connection  32 . Accordingly, it is contemplated that where the head member  14  is shaped in a manner described hereinabove, it is contemplated that the opposite sides will provide shapes that mirror each other for use in testing a fluid connection  32  located at either side of the back side  30  of an appliance as depicted in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . It is contemplated that the head member could formed from nearly any material, such as plastic, wood, metal or paper. However, it is preferred that the head member be formed from a heavy paper stock such as cardboard, for its ease in manufacture and shaping as well as its low cost. Moreover, such a material provides a level of fluid absorbency that will assist the user when a fluid leak is intermittent. In such a case, the leak may continue for awhile, while water is accepted by the appliance. However, the leak may temporarily stop, allowing moisture to evaporate. Accordingly, where the head member is made from a fluid-absorbing material, the fluid will tend to evaporate more slowly. Moreover, the evaporated fluid will typically leave behind evidence that the material was once wet, such as a water line and a slight disfiguration to the texture of the surface. It is further contemplated that a water soluble ink could be disposed on one or both of the surfaces  42  and  44  so that additional or enhanced visual evidence of a leak could be provided in the form of splotched ink on the head member  14 . 
   It is contemplated that the device  10  could be used for a few days to determine the integrity of a fluid connection and then discarded. However, it is also contemplated that the device  10  could be left in position adjacent the fluid connection  32  indefinitely. In this instance, it is preferred that the handle  12  be formed of a material, such as heavy paper stock, wood or plastic. Each of these materials are easily trimmed to provide a handle  12  having a length that does not pass the front side  28  of the appliance when the device  10  is in position. This leaves the device out of sight but retains its position to be checked periodically for potentially damaging fluid leaks. This also permits the device  10  to be reused where a leak is first detected. In that instance, the device  10  is simply dried and returned to its position adjacent the repaired fluid connection  32 . The device  10  could also be taken by an appliance installer from one job to the next. 
     FIG. 5  depicts an alternate embodiment device  10 ′, which could be used with appliances such as a clothes washer that may have a standard configuration ( FIG. 4 ) but may have a fluid connection extending from the upper end portion of the back side of the appliance. The device  10 ′ is provided with a handle  12 ′ and a head member  14 ′ that function much in the same manner as those on the device  10  described previously. However, a standard support configuration on the appliance depicted permits the testing arm  34 ′ to be longer and extend beyond both sides of the handle  12 ′. The device  10 ′ is preferably positioned between the appliance and the operating surface adjacent the wall. In this position, a fluid leak from a fluid connection anywhere on the back side of the appliance will come into contact with the testing arm  34 ′. 
   In the drawings and in the specification, there have been set forth preferred embodiments of the invention; and although specific items are employed, these are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. Changes in the form and proportion of parts, as well as substitution of equivalents, are contemplated as circumstances may suggest or render expedient without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as further defined in the following claims. 
   Thus it can be seen that the invention accomplishes at least all of its stated objectives.