LEAK-PREVENTING DEVICE DESCRIPTION

The present invention refers to a leak-preventing device, particularly well-suited to prevent flooding and/or gas leaks in closed areas.

The problem of gas leaks from relevant pipes is extremely serious, since leaking gas is toxic per se and - being highly inflammable - may also lead to blasts, usually with dramatic consequences. Although less dangerous, also water leaks from water pipes represent a serious problem, since such leaks may lead to flooding which may even seriously damage floors, furniture, carpets and fittings and may cause nasty damage to neighbours' flats. Especially hoses running within flats, particularly popular nowadays, mainly for suspended sanitary fixtures, are subject to bursts in case of overpressure.

Various attempts have been made at overcoming such problems. Thus, gas sensors are known which activate alarm sounds in the event of the concentration of gases other than air in the atmosphere exceeding a threshold level. However, such alarm systems are triggered even in the presence of non- inflammable and harmless gases, such as even the cooking vapours of certain foods, especially if they are aromatic, or in case garlic and/or onion are fried, for example.

Sensors capable of recognising some inflammable and/or toxic gases have been marketed, which can issue sound signals in case these gases in the atmosphere exceed the threshold concentration. This was done with water sensors also in the case of water leaks .

The above devices, certainly useful in case people are present in the household, however, become totally useless in case of their absence. This applies especially to water, since the bursting of water pipes is much more frequent than that of gas pipes.

In order to overcome also this drawback, the above alarm systems have been altered so as to send the user a telephone or

text message. The user can thus return home promptly to fix the drawback.

Although such system is certainly valid, it is, however, fully ineffective when the user is far away, for example when he or she is on holiday or on a business trip or is in any case prevented from returning home immediately.

Devices exist which are capable of acting on an intercepting valve found in the pipes, using sensors connected by a wire or wireless system to an electrovalve and causing the closing thereof. In actual fact, the electrovalve can be kept open in two alternative ways: by energising or by dis- energising. In the former case, the water or gas supply will be discontinued even in case of a current cut-off, with evident inconvenience, especially in case of overload, for example in the event of thunderstorms. In the latter case, the desired shutting off of the supply in case of leaks cannot be obtained should there be a current cut-off, actually making the device unusable .

WO2008/079 763 discloses a device for acting on the supply tap of water pipes. Such device comprises a small motor, capable of causing a thrust plate to rotate upon a control issued by a central unit, said plate acting in the sense of causing the ball valve lever provided for the water supply to rotate. Once the lever has been brought as far as the stop, the electric motor rotates in the opposite direction, bringing the plate in the original position, so that the lever is accessible for possible manual opening. This device, which certainly has various positive features, however, is not fully safe, may be subject to failure due to the nature of the electric motor, which may be stressed during the lever push to the point of melting, may not be powerful enough to be able to push an insufficiently lubricated lever, does not prevent the accidental reopening of the ball valve.

US application 2003/0 066 340 refers to a system for stopping a fluid in case of leaks. It provides the use of a flow meter upstream of the system and of a conductor-fluid sensor

(water is one of them) at each drawing point. The valve it acts upon receives energy only in case it must be opened or closed. A digital control panel manages the system, providing also a button for manual closing of the valve. In order to keep the valve in good conditions, it is provided to open and close it at preset time intervals.

US patent 6 374 846 concerns a device for keeping a valve moving in a household which remains closed for long periods of time, so that it does not remain jammed. A motor closing is provided, with an electrovalve or other. The device does not act directly on the general valve, but exclusively between it and the points of water drawing. The opening and the closing occur at intervals. The closing thereof can be provided in the event of flow abnormalities: in this case, the detection of abnormalities can occur by means of a flow meter, the parameters whereof must fall within certain intervals in order to have a regular flow, or by water or moisture detection systems.

US patent 5 638 847 refers to a tap closing device when the room temperature drops below a certain threshold. The control of the actual loss is performed verifying the rate upstream and downstream of the closing valve; said valve can also be opened and closed manually, by means of a suitable manual device. Reference is made explicitly to a solenoid for valve opening and closing, therefore it is an electrovalve. The presence of moisture or water sensors for acting on the electrovalve is explicitly requested.

US application 2003/0159732 refers to a safety system for stopping water and gas in a building. The opportunity of notifying the owner (or similar responsible person) is provided and it is also capable of determining when a loss is about to occur, detecting some characteristic situations, such as the lowering of the temperature below a certain threshold. Flow opening and closure are controlled by an electrovalve. There is a switch capable of determining if the electrovalve is open or closed and if there is a telephone dial for notifying the responsible person.

US patent 6 186 162 refers to a device for detecting water losses, cutting off supply in case of losses. There is a temporisation logic which acts on a ratio-motor, the output shaft of which is connected to the ball valve which opens and closes the flow. When the ball valve arrives at a stop, a cam switch cuts off power from the ratio-motor, stopping the motion thereof, due also to the use of a braking device. The temporisation logic helps the switch in defining when the valve must be closed. Loss detection units and signal transmission units exist, as well as reception units and operative units. The tool is battery-operated. There is a reset membrane for reopening the valve and a switch for manual control.

US patent 5 771 920 concerns a housing with water inlet, for receiving water from a household supply, a water outlet, for supplying water to the downstream points of distribution, with a vane rotatable about an axis, depending on the flow rate and a valve controlled by a control panel for stopping the flow should the loss be detected. The ball valve comprises a valve stem, connected to a cam. The connector does not rotate with respect to the cam and to an endless screw, due to the action of tightening screws. The cam acts also on a stop switch. The losses are detected by measuring the water flow rate. In case of loss the stem stops the flow until a reset button is pushed.

The drawbacks reported above are brilliantly solved by the present invention, which refers to a leak-prevention device, consisting of an electric motor actuated by an actuator in reaction to a signal of the presence of a leak of liquids or gases carried by radio waves from one or more sensors arranged in the room for closing a ball valve apt to intercept the liquid or gas flow, said electric motor acting directly on the ball of said ball valve, comprising a plate apt to house, in one of its axial through-openings, on one side a member for engagement with the ball valve and on the other side a member for engagement with the motor, characterised in that it has spring means for pushing the motor against said plate, engaging with the axial through-opening of said plate and in that it further has a lever

for lifting the motor against the thrust of said spring.

The present invention is now illustrated in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: fig. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the device according to the invention; and fig. 2 illustrates an exploded view of the device of fig. 1.

According to the embodiment shown in the drawings, the device according to the present invention is applied directly on the threaded body 1 of a ball valve 2. In general, the application becomes possible by disassembling the lever or the adjusting knob of the ball valve 2. The mechanism is supported on valve body 2A, found on a pipe 3, by means of a collar 4. Preferably, collar 4 has means apt to prevent the rotation thereof on the valve body due to the torsional force. Such means may consist, for example, in a corrugation or in grooves, ribs of the resting surface thereof on collar 2A, or in an opening 4A into which a pin 2B is introduced.

On the collar 4 a plate 5 rests free to rotation, which plate has an axial through-opening 6, of a shape and size corresponding to those of threaded body 1 and apt to house said body. Plate 5 carries a lever 7, apt to cause plate 5 to rotate, should it be idle.

Body 1 only partly enters hole 6, said hole thus being able to house also - from the opposite end - a pin 8 having the same section as the threaded body, carried by a sleeve 9, capable of rotating under the action of a motor 10. Motor 10 is very powerful (50-100 N/m) and is preferably a ratio-motor. Motor 10 is pushed by a pair of springs 11 against plate 5, so as to keep pin 8 engaged with hole 6.

Preferably, motor 10 may be lifted, so as to disengage pin

8 by means of a suitable small, manually-operated lever 12, so as to bring plate 5 into an idle position. The sliding of motor

10 occurs along suitable guides 13 about which springs 11 are inserted.

The device is completed by a preferably electronic

actuation unit and by a receiving unit, apt to receive signals from the outside, preferably in the form of radio waves, and to supply them, to the actuation device. Moreover, units of outer sensors are provided, apt to transmit the signals to the receiving unit.

The device according to the present invention can be fitted directly on ball valve 2 by a plumber or even by a person capable of performing hydraulic tasks. The sensors, known per se, are arranged in points considered to be strategic inside the room to be monitored. For example, if flooding is to be prevented, water sensors can be arranged on the bathroom floor or on the bathroom exit door, if instead gas leaks are to be prevented, gas sensors can be arranged in the kitchen and in the proximity of the boiler. In the event of water leaks, it is preferred to use an electric-conductivity sensor arranged with the contacts capable of detecting water presence with a height of the same of at least 1 mm from the ground, so as not to stop water delivery during floor wiping.

In. a normal condition, raising the lever 12 which acts on the motor against the thrust of spring 11, the disengagement of pin 8 from opening 6 of plate 5 is obtained. Thereby, lever 7 can be manoeuvred for manually adjusting the opening of valve 2, so as to adjust accordingly the flow rate of pipe 3. Once the desired position has been found, the lever 12 which acts on the motor is released, obtaining the return in contact with plate 5. This can be obtained also mechanically, providing a button on the device housing which actuates motor 10.

When, one or more sensors detect a leak, they send a radio signal to the receiver of the device which controls motor 10 to move, thereby causing pin 8 to rotate which, in turn, causes hole 6, plate 5, body 1 and the ball of valve 2 to rotate in sequence . The rotation proceeds until the valve is perfectly ciosed. Advantageously, on plate 5 a small pin will be found which, upon full closure of valve 2, actuates, abutting therewith, a stop switch which, when pushed, cuts off motor 10, stopping it. However, preferably, as soon as one acts raising

lever 12 to raise motor 10 and reopening valve 2 by lever 7, the switch will be actuated again, supplying current to the motor again, so as to cause the immediate renewed closing of valve 2. In order to be able to open again the fluid passage in pipe 3, it is necessary to act on a suitable reset button found on the sensor, for the device to detect that the problem has been solved and to stop supplying motor 10. Thereby the flow is prevented from being inadvertently reset or from being reset by an unaware person. Preferably, only by acting on the sensor which has sent the signal which has led to the flow stop is it possible to reopen said passage .

Preferably, motor 10 is supplied both by the mains and by batteries, so that it can operate also in case of power cut-off. Advantageously, a device can be provided which constantly keeps in charge the batteries when current passes through, so as to never have problems of empty batteries. Thereby, the perfect operation of the device is always ensured, also in case of interruption of the supply of electricity. Advantageously, the device according to the present invention is built as a single body (as can be seen in fig. 1), comprising motor and supply in a single member, having as detached members only the sensors.