Abstract:
A moisture sensor is disclosed that includes a capsule, having a bottom portion and a top portion and an inlet for receiving fluid located at the top portion of the capsule, wherein the capsule is capable of containing at least one chemical that changes appearance in the fluid&#39;s presence. There is also a process for utilizing a moisture sensor that is disclosed. The process includes inserting at least one chemical that changes appearance when a fluid is present in a capsule, wherein the capsule has a bottom portion and a top portion and an inlet for receiving fluid located at the top portion of the capsule, and inserting the capsule into a ceiling where the bottom portion of the capsule is located below the ceiling. There can be a single chemical or substance that changes color in the presence of fluid or an upper layer and a lower layer of chemical where the upper layer goes from a solid to a liquid permeating the lower layer of chemical and changing overall appearance of the lower layer of chemical that is visible through the capsule as well as numerous chemical combinations.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    Fluid leakage or flooding creates tremendous problems for property owners. If this activity is hidden for a long period of time, the amount of damage can be very costly. Sheet rock, plaster, wood and tile ceilings are used in most buildings and are astethically very pleasing to the eye. However, fluid can leak from the roof or pipe/conduit and lie on top of this ceiling. The fluid will then build-up until a major portion of the ceiling is completely destroyed with the fluid eventually breaking through to damage furnishings and other expensive equipment or personal property. Also, this fluid leaking from either the roof or a conduit, if left unchecked, can destroy other woodwork and cause structural damage to the building. This fluid, e.g., water, damage can lead to mold and insect infestation. The time period between when a fluid leak is detectable to a human observer and when the fluid leak is actual present can be a significant period of time that can result in tremendous property damage to the building.  
           [0002]    The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    In one aspect of this invention, a moisture sensor is disclosed. The moisture sensor includes a capsule, having a bottom portion and a top portion and an inlet for receiving fluid located at the top portion of the capsule, wherein the capsule is capable of containing at least one chemical that changes appearance in the fluid&#39;s presence.  
           [0004]    In another aspect of this invention, a process for utilizing a moisture sensor is disclosed. The process includes inserting at least one chemical that changes appearance when a fluid is present in a capsule, wherein the capsule has a bottom portion and a top portion and an inlet for receiving fluid located at the top portion of the capsule, and inserting the capsule into a ceiling where the bottom portion of the capsule is located below the ceiling. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0005]    For a better understanding of the present invention, reference may be made to the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0006]    [0006]FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a moisture sensor of the present invention;  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the bottom portion of the moisture sensor of the present invention mounted in a ceiling;  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 3 is a top view of the moisture sensor of the present invention shown in FIG. 1, of the present invention; and  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of a first alternative embodiment of the moisture sensor of the present invention utilizing a replaceable inner capsule. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]    In the following detailed description numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the present invention.  
         [0011]    Referring now to the drawings, and initially to FIG. 1, which illustrates a moisture sensor that is generally indicated by numeral  10 . The moisture sensor  10  includes a capsule  12  with a fluid inlet  14  where fluid, e.g. water, can enter the capsule  12 . The capsule  12  includes both an enclosed bottom portion  31  and a top portion  32 . The bottom portion  32  should be constructed out of either transparent or translucent material so that an appearance change, e.g., color change, of a substance located within the capsule can be visually detected outside of the capsule  12 . The preferred structure of the capsule  12  is that of a cylinder, however, virtually any geometric shape will suffice. The preferred material is plastic, however, the material is not necessarily limited to this specific material. For example, other than the obvious drawback of breakage, glass would work as a material in this application. If utilizing plastic, the preferred process to create the capsule  12  is that of molding the plastic, however, any of a wide variety of plastic forming processes will suffice. If the plastic is molded, the preferred method is that of injection molding, however, any of a wide variety of molding processes will suffice, including stretch blow molding, among numerous other molding processes.  
         [0012]    The capsule  12  holds or contains appearance-changing chemical(s) that sense the presence of a fluid in the capsule. There is a bottom chemical layer  16  that is typically neutral or white. Overlying the bottom chemical layer  16  is an upper chemical layer  18  that is typically a bright color. Although having the bottom chemical layer  16  a white or neutral color and the upper chemical layer  18  a bright color is preferred, all that is desirable is for there to be a noticeable appearance, e.g., color, contrast between the bottom chemical layer  16  and the upper chemical layer  18 .  
         [0013]    A nonlimiting preferred example, due to cost, is the utilization of common table salt in the bottom chemical layer  16  and food coloring, e.g., Red  40 , in the upper chemical layer  18 . The amounts can vary depending on the size of the capsule  12  and the amount of moisture desired before an indication is provided. When fluid seeps into the fluid inlet  14 , the food coloring dissolves in the upper chemical layer  18  and seeps into the bottom chemical layer  16 , which turns the bottom chemical layer  16 , common table salt, a deep color representative of the food coloring, e.g. cherry red.  
         [0014]    Another nonlimiting example would include the use of gelatin as the bottom chemical layer  16  and food coloring, e.g., Red  40 , in the upper chemical layer  18 . When this mixture of gelatin and food coloring is dry, it has a slight tinge of the color of the food coloring, e.g., pink. As in the previous example, when fluid seeps into the fluid inlet  14 , the food coloring dissolves in the upper chemical layer  18  and seeps into the bottom chemical layer  16 , which turns the bottom chemical layer  18  of gelatin into a deep color representative of the food coloring, e.g. cherry red. The preferred example of a gelatin is cherry flavored JELL-O®. JELL-O® is a registered trademark of Kraft Foods, Inc located at Three Lakes Drive, Northfield, Ill. 60093.  
         [0015]    As described in the Federal Aviation Administration&#39;s Advisory Circular No. 20-125, dated Dec. 10, 1985, and initiated by AFS-340 regarding “Water in Aviation Fuels”, the presence of either a single chemical, e.g., paste or treated paper, which changes color in the presence of water is available. This approach, however, is more expensive than the common chemicals used in the preferred embodiment. Any of a wide variety of chemical combinations can also be utilized in this preferred embodiment.  
         [0016]    In the preferred embodiment, there is a gas, e.g., air, exit tube  20  that allows trapped gas, e.g., air, to escape from the capsule  12 . The gas exit tube  20  has an upper portion  24  that preferably extends outside the capsule  12  and a lower portion  22  that extends downward through the upper chemical layer  18  and into the bottom chemical layer  16 . This slanted bottom portion  22  of the gas exit tube  20  allows gas to escape from inside the capsule  12  that is above the upper chemical layer  18 , from the chemical in the upper chemical layer  18 , and from the chemical in the bottom chemical layer  16 .  
         [0017]    There is a flange member  26  that is associated with a bottom portion of the capsule  12  for securing the moisture sensor  10  to a ceiling. This flange member  26  can be an integral portion of the capsule  12  or a separate component attached thereto. This flange member  26  can literally be any geometric shape or configuration with a preferred circular shape.  
         [0018]    Referring now to FIG. 2, reveals the moisture sensor  10  mounted to a ceiling indicated by numeral  28 . The ceiling  28 , as illustrated, is sheet rock material, however, water damage can be a significant problem for plaster, tile and wood ceilings. These types of ceilings can conceal the presence of water above the ceiling  28  until significant damage is done to the ceiling  28  and other parts of the building. The flange member  26  fits against the ceiling  28  to visually reveal the bottom portion  31  of the capsule  12  containing the bottom chemical layer  16 .  
         [0019]    Referring now to FIG. 3, the upper portion  32  of the capsule  12  is shown that would be located at or above the ceiling  28 . The fluid inlet  14  can collect fluid from a leak in the roof or from a fluid conduit/pipe. As previously described, this moisture passes into the capsule  12  and into the upper chemical layer  18 , which typically but not necessarily, turns a chemical powder or solid into a fluid that seeps into the lower chemical layer  16 . This changes the appearance, e.g., color, revealed by the lower portion  31  of the capsule  12  below the flange member  26  and the ceiling  28 . This early detection can save expensive and costly repairs to the ceiling  28  and other parts of the building. The gas exit tube  20 , for releasing gas, e.g., air, as previously described, has an upper portion  24  that preferably extends outside the capsule  12  is also shown in FIG. 3.  
         [0020]    Referring now to FIG. 4, reveals an alternative embodiment of the present invention that is generally indicated by numeral  50 . The difference between this embodiment and the preferred embodiment is that there is an inner capsule  52  that is replaceable within an outer capsule  54 . The inner capsule  52  is almost identical in structure to capsule  12  of the previous embodiment, however, it is without a flange member  26 .  
         [0021]    The inner capsule  52  has a fluid inlet  14  where fluid, e.g. water, can enter the inner capsule  52 . The inner capsule  52  includes both an enclosed bottom portion  31  and a top portion  32 . The bottom portion  32  should be constructed out of either transparent or translucent material so that an appearance, e.g. color, change of a substance located within the capsule can be visually detected outside of the inner capsule  52 . The preferred structure of the inner capsule  52  is that of a cylinder, however, virtually any geometric shape will suffice. The preferred material is plastic, however, the material is not necessarily limited to this specific material. For example, other than the obvious drawback of breakage, glass would work as a material in this application. If utilizing plastic, the preferred process to create the inner capsule  52  is that of molding the plastic, however, any of a wide variety of plastic forming processes will suffice. If the plastic is molded, the preferred method is that of injection molding, however, any of a wide variety of molding processes will suffice, including stretch blow molding, among numerous other molding processes.  
         [0022]    The inner capsule  52  holds or contains color-changing chemical(s) that sense the presence of a fluid in the capsule. There is a bottom chemical layer  16  that is typically neutral or white. Overlying the bottom chemical layer  16  is an upper chemical layer  18  that is typically a bright color. Although having the bottom chemical layer  16  a white or neutral color and the upper chemical layer  18  a bright color is preferred, all that is desired is for there to be a noticeable color contrast between the bottom chemical layer  16  and the upper chemical layer  18 .  
         [0023]    A nonlimiting preferred example includes, due to cost, utilization of common table salt in the bottom chemical layer  16  and food coloring, e.g., Red 40, in the upper chemical layer  18 . The amounts can vary depending on the size of the inner capsule  52  and the amount of moisture desired before an indication is provided. When fluid seeps into the fluid inlet  14 , the food coloring dissolves in the upper chemical layer  18  and seeps into the bottom chemical layer  16 , which turns the bottom chemical layer  16 , of salt, a deep color representative of the food coloring, e.g. cherry red.  
         [0024]    Another nonlimiting example would include the use of gelatin as the bottom chemical layer  16  and food coloring, e.g., Red 40, in the upper chemical layer  18 . When this mixture of gelatin and food coloring is dry, it has a slight tinge of the color of the food coloring, e.g., pink. As in the previous example, when fluid seeps into the fluid inlet  14 , the food coloring dissolves in the upper chemical layer  18  and seeps into the bottom chemical layer  16 , which turns the bottom chemical layer of gelatin into a deep color representative of the food coloring, e.g. cherry red. The preferred example of a gelatin is cherry flavored JELL-O®. JELL-O® is a registered trademark of Kraft Foods, Inc located at Three Lakes Drive, Northfield, Ill. 60093.  
         [0025]    As described in the Federal Aviation Administration&#39;s Advisory Circular No. 20-125, dated Dec. 10, 1985, and initiated by AFS-340 regarding “Water in Aviation Fuels”, the presence of either a single chemical, e.g., paste or treated paper, which changes color in the presence of water is available. This approach, however, is more expensive than the common chemicals used in the preferred embodiment. Any of a wide variety of chemical combinations can also be utilized in this alternative embodiment.  
         [0026]    There is a gas, e.g., air, exit tube  20  that allows trapped air to escape from the inner capsule  52 . The gas exit tube  20  has an upper portion  24  that preferably extends outside the inner capsule  52  and a lower portion  22  that extends downward through the upper chemical layer  18  and into the bottom chemical layer  16 . This slanted bottom portion  22  of the gas exit tube  20  allows gas to escape from the inner capsule  52  that is above the upper chemical layer  18 , from the chemical in the upper chemical layer  18 , and from the chemical in the bottom chemical layer  16 .  
         [0027]    This inner capsule  52  is replaceably mounted within the outer capsule  54 . The outer capsule  54  includes both a bottom portion  61  and a top portion  62 . The bottom portion  61  should be constructed out of either transparent or translucent material so that an appearance change, e.g., color change, of a substance located within the outer capsule  54  can be visually detected outside of the outer capsule  54 . The preferred structure of the outer capsule  54  is that of a cylinder, however, virtually any geometric shape will suffice. The preferred material is plastic, however, the material is not necessarily limited to this specific material. For example, other than the obvious drawback of breakage, glass would work as a material in this application. If utilizing plastic, the preferred process to create the outer capsule  54  is that of molding the plastic, however, any of a wide variety of plastic forming processes will suffice. If the plastic is molded, the preferred method is that of injection molding, however, any of a wide variety of molding processes will suffice, including stretch blow molding, among numerous other molding processes.  
         [0028]    There is a flange member  26  that is associated with a bottom portion of the outer capsule  54  for securing the moisture sensor  50  to a ceiling. This flange member  26  can be an integral portion of the outer capsule  54  or a separate component attached thereto. This flange member  26  can literally be any geometric shape or configuration with a preferred circular shape.  
         [0029]    Industrial Applicability:  
         [0030]    The present invention is advantageously applicable in early detection of fluid leakage in ceilings, e.g. sheet rock, plaster, wood or tile ceilings. This can save thousands of dollars in building repair through the use of this moisture sensor  10 .  
         [0031]    The above advantages are only for the purposes of illustration and are not intended to limit the present invention as such. It will be recognizable, by those skilled in the art, that the present invention is suitable for a plurality of other applications.  
         [0032]    In view of the foregoing, it is readily apparent that the subject moisture detector in a very simple and effective manner allows someone to detect fluid leakage in a building and prevent significant damage. Other aspects, objects and advantages of the present invention can be obtained from a study of the drawings, the disclosure and the appended claims.