PATENT CLAIM ANALYSIS

Application Number: 15748715
Application Type: Utility
Filing Date: 2018-01
Publication Date: 2019-01
Patent Classification: ["062", "129000"]

Abstract:
The purpose of the present invention is to propose a device for detecting refrigerant leaks in a refrigeration cycle. The device can be applied irrespective of whether a liquid-receiving tank is present, has a simple configuration, and can be installed easily and inexpensively as a retrofit. Moreover, the device is configured so as to detect the presence of leaks without stopping operation of the equipment, and is innovative and of exceptional utility such that there is no decrease in the equipment operation rate as caused by detection of leaks. Provided is a device for detecting refrigerant leaks in a refrigeration cycle, the device comprising an ultrasonic wave transmitter  1  for transmitting ultrasonic waves having a prescribed frequency, an ultrasonic wave receiver  2  for receiving the ultrasonic waves transmitted by the ultrasonic wave transmitter  1 , an ultrasonic wave reception determination unit  3  for determining whether the ultrasonic wave receiver  2  has received the ultrasonic waves transmitted by the ultrasonic wave transmitter  1 , and a leak reporting unit  4  for externally reporting a leak event when the ultrasonic wave reception determination unit  3  has determined that the ultrasonic wave receiver  2  has not received the ultrasonic waves transmitted by the ultrasonic wave transmitter  1.

Claim (Index 1):
A device for detecting a refrigerant leak in a refrigeration cycle, the device detecting the presence of a leak of refrigerant that is circulated through a refrigeration cycle in a refrigeration device or air conditioning device, wherein the device for detecting a refrigerant leak in a refrigeration cycle is characterized by comprising: an ultrasonic wave transmitter for transmitting ultrasonic waves having a frequency which is 3 MHz or less and at which propagation is blocked by the presence of bubbles, the ultrasonic wave transmitter being provided to the outer surface of a piping unit by which a condenser and an expansion valve in the refrigeration cycle are connected and moreover being provided at a position downstream from the condenser and upstream from the expansion valve; an ultrasonic wave receiver for receiving the ultrasonic waves transmitted by the ultrasonic wave transmitter, an ultrasonic wave reception determination unit for receiving a signal from the ultrasonic wave transmitter indicating that ultrasonic waves have been transmitted and receiving a signal from the ultrasonic wave receiver indicating that the ultrasonic waves transmitted by the ultrasonic wave transmitter have been received, determining that transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves between the ultrasonic wave transmitter and the ultrasonic wave receiver are not being carried out normally if no signal can be received from the ultrasonic wave receiver to indicate that the ultrasonic waves transmitted by the ultrasonic wave transmitter have been received irrespective of whether a signal has been received from the ultrasonic wave transmitter indicating that ultrasonic waves have been transmitted, and outputting a signal; and a leak reporting unit for receiving a signal outputted by the ultrasonic wave reception determination unit when the ultrasonic wave reception determination unit has determined that transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves between the ultrasonic wave transmitter and the ultrasonic wave receiver are not being carried out normally, and externally reporting a leak event; the device for detecting a refrigerant leak in a refrigeration cycle being configured such that in a state in which the refrigerant is circulated within the refrigeration cycle, the ultrasonic wave reception determination unit outputs a signal to the leak reporting unit when a state arises in which propagation of the ultrasonic waves transmitted by the ultrasonic wave transmitter to the ultrasonic waves receiver is blocked due to bubbles generated by a leak passing between the ultrasonic wave transmitter and the ultrasonic wave receiver, and when a state arises in which no signal can be received from the ultrasonic wave receiver to indicate that the ultrasonic waves transmitted by the ultrasonic wave transmitter have been received irrespective of whether a signal has been received from the ultrasonic wave transmitter indicating that ultrasonic waves have been transmitted, and the leak reporting unit externally reports a leak event.

Metadata:
- Claim Count in Document: 18.0
- Percentile: 86.0
- Lexical Diversity: 2.45977
- Patent Class: 62.0
- Transitional Phrase Type: open
- Component Type: 1
- Foreign Priority: True
- Related Applications: ['11758482', '14301052', '10625654', '10851229', '10719026']

Analysis Scores:
- 35 USC 101 Eligibility (BERT): 0.8077919110554097
- 35 USC 102 Novelty (BERT): 0.4965095129926893
- Combined Prediction Score: 0.7766636712491376
- Mean Citation Score: 173.181614
- Max Citation Score: 178.73323
- Similarity Product: 106.70631692738532

Labels:
- Claim Label 101: 1
- Claim Label 102: 1
- Claim Label 103: 0
- Claim Label 112: 0
- Combined Label: 1
- Label 101 Adjusted: 1

Dataset: test