Patent ID: 7032435

Claim:
A liquid leakage protective system for minimizing damage from liquid leakage by automatic shutoff upon early detection of the leakage anywhere in a pressurized pipeline network between an input end and a plurality of outlet devices each selected from a group including appliances, sink and tub faucets, shower heads, toilets, service taps and other liquid outlet devices, comprising: an input flow detector, located in-line near the input end of the pipeline network, made and arranged to generate an “input flow” status signal whenever liquid flow into the pipeline exceeds a predetermined input flow threshold rate; an outlet flow detector co-located integrally with each outlet device in the pipeline network, made and arranged to generate an “outlet flow” status signal whenever liquid flow through the co-located outlet device exceeds a predetermined outlet flow threshold rate; a shut-off valve located at the inlet end of the pipeline, near said input flow detector, made and arranged (a) to be operable electrically in at least a unidirectional manner to transition from an open state to a closed state and thus shut off liquid flow to the pipeline network in response to a predetermined “close” electrical signal and (b) also to be operable manually in a bidirectional manner to transition between the open state and the closed state; a central processing unit (CPU), made and arranged to receive and continuously monitor flow status signals from said input flow detector and from each of said outlet flow detectors, to detect leakage as indicated by an “input flow” signal in absence of any “outlet flow” signal, and, upon detecting leakage, to command said shut-off valve to close.