Apparatus and method for detecting a leak in a swimming pool
OwnerJohn Bromleyinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for detecting water loss from a swimming pool includes a first container having an upper end, a lower end, an inner cavity and at least one opening allowing swimming pool water to flow in and out of said inner cavity; a substantially waterproof load cell positioned within the inner cavity of said first container, for measuring weight bearing thereon; and a second container having an upper end, a lower end, and an inner cavity closed to water flow, said second container positioned within the inner cavity of said first container having its lower end upon said load cell so as to bear weight thereon.
Claims49
An apparatus for detecting water loss from a swimming pool, said apparatus comprising:
- a first container having an upper end, a lower end, an inner cavity and at least one opening allowing swimming pool water to flow in and out of said inner cavity;
- a substantially waterproof load cell positioned within the inner cavity of said first container, for measuring weight bearing thereon;
- and
- a second container having an upper end, a lower end, and an inner cavity closed to water flow, said second container positioned within the inner cavity of said first container having its lower end upon said load cell so as to bear weight thereon.
An apparatus for detecting water loss from a swimming pool, said apparatus comprising:
- a first container having a substantially closed upper end, a lower end, an inner cavity extending within said container from the upper end to the lower end, and a first opening at the lower end including a valve thereon for allowing swimming pool water to flow in and out of said inner cavity;
- a substantially waterproof load cell positioned within the inner cavity of said first container at the lower end and connected to a power source, for measuring weight bearing thereon;
- a second container having an upper end, a lower end, and an inner cavity, said second container positioned within the inner cavity of said first container having its lower end upon said load cell so as to bear weight thereon;
- and
- a water pump and siphon tube combination having an air bleed valve and fluidly connecting the inner cavity of said first container with the inner cavity of said second container for filling said second container with water.
An apparatus for detecting loss of liquid in a contained body of liquid, said apparatus comprising:
- a first container having an upper end, a lower end, an inner cavity and at least one opening allowing the liquid to flow in and out of said inner cavity;
- a load cell submersible in the liquid and positioned within the inner cavity of said first container, for measuring a weight bearing thereon;
- and
- a second container having an upper end, a lower end, and an inner cavity closed to liquid flow, said second container positioned within the inner cavity of said first container having its lower end upon said load cell so as to bear weight thereon.
A method for detecting loss of a contained liquid from a container, the method comprising:
- segregating a fractional volume of the contained liquid so as to extend above a surface of a total volume of contained liquid;
- weighing the fractional volume;
- holding the fractional volume segregated during a predetermined time;
- and
- detecting a sufficient increase in weight of the segregated fractional volume relative to the total volume during the predetermined time to thereby indicate loss of contained.
A method for detecting a leak in a first container containing a total volume of liquid, the method comprising:
- segregating a fractional volume of the liquid in a second container;
- positioning the second container at a predetermined depth above bottom within the first container so that the segregated fractional volume of liquid extends above a surface of the total volume of liquid in the first container;
- weighing the second container over a predetermined period of time while maintaining the predetermined depth constant;
- and
- detecting a sufficient increase in the weight of the second container to thereby indicate a loss of total volume of liquid due to a leak in the first container.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.