Enclosure for leak detector
AssigneeMueller International, LLC
InventorsLeo W. Fleury, Jr., Ganapathi Deva Varma Dintakurti, James O. Williams, Shabbir Yusuf
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A nozzle cap assembly includes a nozzle cap defining a bore, the bore defining internal threading configured to mount the nozzle cap on a nozzle of a fire hydrant; an enclosure attached to the nozzle cap; a vibration sensor positioned within the enclosure; a circuit board positioned within the enclosure, the circuit board connected in electrical communication with the vibration sensor, the circuit board configured to process an electrical current transmitted by the vibration sensor; and an antenna connected in electrical communication with the circuit board, the antenna configured to transmit a signal received from the circuit board.
Claims19
A nozzle cap assembly comprising:
- a nozzle cap defining a bore, the bore defining internal threading configured to mount the nozzle cap on a nozzle of a fire hydrant;
- an enclosure and a mating enclosure, the enclosure defining a first end and a second end, the first end attached to the nozzle cap, the second end of the enclosure coupled to the mating enclosure;
- a vibration sensor positioned within the enclosure;
- a circuit board positioned within the enclosure, the circuit board connected in electrical communication with the vibration sensor, the circuit board configured to process an electrical current transmitted by the vibration sensor;
- and
- an antenna connected in electrical communication with the circuit board, the antenna configured to transmit a signal received from the circuit board.
A fire hydrant assembly comprising:
- a fire hydrant, the fire hydrant comprising a nozzle, the nozzle defining male threading;
- a nozzle cap mounted on the nozzle, the nozzle cap defining female threading, the female threading engaging with the male threading;
- an enclosure and a mating enclosure, the enclosure defining a first end and a second end, the first end attached to the nozzle cap, the second end of the enclosure coupled to the mating enclosure;
- a vibration sensor positioned within the enclosure, the vibration sensor configured to detect vibrations travelling from the fire hydrant and through the nozzle cap and enclosure to the vibration sensor;
- and
- a circuit board positioned within the enclosure, the circuit board connected to the vibration sensor in electrical communication, the circuit board configured to process an electrical current transmitted by the vibration sensor.
A method of monitoring for a leak in a fluid system, the method comprising:
- mounting a nozzle cap assembly on a nozzle of a fire hydrant connected in fluid communication with the fluid system, the nozzle cap assembly comprising:
- a nozzle cap mounted on the nozzle, the nozzle defining male threading, the nozzle cap defining female threading, the female threading engaging with the male threading;
- an enclosure and a mating enclosure, the enclosure defining a first end and a second end, the first end attached to the nozzle cap, the second end of the enclosure coupled to the mating enclosure;
- a vibration sensor positioned within the enclosure;
- and
- a circuit board connected to the vibration sensor in electrical communication;
- detecting a vibration from the fluid system with the vibration sensor;
- transmitting an electrical current from the vibration sensor to the circuit board;
- and
- processing the electrical current with the circuit board to determine if the leak is present in the fluid system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.