Patent ID: 7082959

Claim:
A pilot operated shutoff valve system with leak detector for automatically shutting off a water supply to appliances such as a clothes washing machine, dish washing machine, sink, toilet, or refrigerator equipped with an ice maker, comprising; a valve body having an inlet opening and an outlet opening which are in fluid communication, said inlet opening being connected to said water supply and said outlet opening being connected to any of the above-mentioned appliances; a main fluid flow through said valve body and a restricted fluid flow through said valve body; a sealing member movable within said valve body between an open position wherein the sealing member does not block main fluid flow, and a closed position wherein the sealing member blocks main fluid flow; a input pilot aperture for the restricted fluid flow in fluid communication with a reservoir, the output of which is in communication with an output pilot aperture that is of larger area than the input pilot aperture; a spring loaded latched assembly which in the open position allows restricted fluid flow through said output pilot aperture thereby allowing said sealing member to open which allows main fluid flow through said valve body, and when in the closed position blocks restricted fluid flow through the output pilot aperture causing said sealing member to block main fluid flow through said valve body; a latching mechanism which in the closed position restricts movement of said spring loaded latched assembly; a water sensor assembly having a water-soluble element therein; a cable connecting said water sensor assembly with said latching mechanism; and actuator means within said water sensor assembly which moves said latching mechanism to an unlatched position when said water-soluble element dissolves whereby the unlatched position of said latching mechanism releases said spring loaded latched assembly which causes restricted fluid flow through said output pilot aperture to be blocked, thereby causing said sealing member to block main fluid flow through said valve body.