CA2831753A1

CA2831753A1 - Determination of pipe blockages through the monitoring of ambient acoustics

Info

Publication number: CA2831753A1
Application number: CA 2831753
Authority: CA
Inventors: Robert Macdonald
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2013-10-31
Filing date: 2013-10-31
Publication date: 2015-04-30
Also published as: US20150116119A1

Abstract

An alarm device is provided for detecting blockages in sewer pipes that connect structures to sewer lines. A clean out cap has a microphone positioned to detect ambient sound in the sewer line, and send a signal indicative of the level of sound to an alarm device.
The alarm device has means to indicate an alarm condition if the level of ambient sound in the sewer detected by the microphone falls below a predetermined level.

Description

DETERMINATION OF PIPE BLOCKAGES THROUGH THE MONITORING OF
AMBIENT ACOUSTICS
The present invention relates to the field of alarms and warning devices. In particular, the present invention provides a device that provides a warning when sewer pipes are blocked.
Typically, the plumbing fixtures within residences are connected with municipal sewer systems, in particular sanitary sewers, by a sewer pipe extending from the residence to the sewer line. Such a pipe can, however, become clogged, by debris, tree roots or by other means. Accordingly, an access point is provided in the residence, comprising a pipe extending upwardly from the sewer connecting line, and capped with a removable cap, so that equipment to unblock or clean out the line can be fed into the line from a convenient location in the residence.
However, even if sewer lines and connections are regularly inspected, it is very often the case that the first indication of a blocked connection is a backed up toilet, or a sink that will not drain. This can lead to damage in a home, and to expensive, urgent repairs.
The Applicant has observed, however, that the sewer line into which household waste water drains virtually always has a flow of water in it, and that the sound of this flow can be detected at the clean out location in a home, if the cap to the clean out access pipe is removed. The present invention, then, provides a device that constantly "listens" to the flow in the municipal sewer, and provides an alarm indication when the sound of the flow drops statistically significant.
In drawings that illustrate the present invention by way of example:
Figure 1 is a schematic of a residential sewer connection.
Figure 2 is a top perspective view of an alarm device according to one embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 is an underside view of the device shown in Figure 2.
Referring to the drawings, it will be observed that municipal sewer line 1 is connected to a house 2 by means of a residential connecting line 3. Access to the connecting line 3 is by a clean out pipe 4 in the house 2. The clean out pipe 4 is provided with a screw-on cap 5, to prevent liquids or gasses in the connection line 3 from escaping into the house. It will be understood, moreover, that the connecting line is a hollow pipe, and that sound will travel in it. Accordingly, the device of the present invention comprises a microphone 6 mounted in cap 5. Microphone 6 is connected to a power supply, such as a battery pack or a low voltage power line. Microphone 6 is also connected to an RF or wifi transmitter 7 that transmits a signal to a receiver 8 that may be positioned elsewhere in the house or may connect to an external system. Under normal circumstances a signal indicating that the microphone is detecting a normal sound level is transmitted to the receiver, and the

2 receiver is provided with an indicator, such as a green light to show this.
The receiver is also provided with an alarm indicator, which can be a red light, an audible alarm or the like. The receiver is programmed to trigger the alarm when the sound level detected by the microphone falls below the predetermined level. This would indicate a blockage in the connecting line preventing sound from traveling from the municipal sewer line to the microphone in the clean out cap. The microphone can be mounted other places besides the cap as long as it can "hear" the sound in the pipe.
As can be seen from Figures 2 and 3, the microphone is mounted inside the clean out cap, and the transmitter is mounted on the outside of the cap. Preferably, all parts associated with the device are waterproof, or are coated or otherwise protected from water damage.
In a preferred embodiment, the alarm device of the present invention is capable of transmitting signals to permit remote monitoring of a sewer line or other piping system.
In such an embodiment, the monitoring and alarm signals may be sent to the interne, a separate alarm system or directed to a private entity via RF, wifi, LAN, telephone lines, cable, VHF or other established means.
Accordingly, it will be understood that in a preferred embodiment, the alarm of the present invention also includes a smartphone application, so that an interne capable phone of a user upon which the application has been loaded can be used to monitor the signal being received by the computer. Moreover, the receiver or the cap may be provided with a wireless interne access device upon which the application has been

3 loaded, whereby it is only necessary to provide an interne connected computer with a wireless router to establish a network to which the wireless internet access device in the cap or receiver may connect. If the wireless internet access device is located in or at the cap, the receiver may be eliminated entirely, and the condition of the drain line monitored over the interne or by smartphone application only.
It will be understood that in using the device of the present invention that the normal sound level in a sewer will vary from one location to another, and to some extent from one time to another during the day. Therefore, after the device of the present invention is installed by replacement of the existing clean-out cap with a cap according to the present invention, it is necessary to calibrate the device of the present invention to the location.
To do this, the cap is installed after the drain line has been cleaned out, or inspected to ensure it is clean, and then the sound levels in the sewer are monitored for a predetermined period of time, say two weeks. Based on the sound levels observed during the two week period, a minimum acceptable normal sound level is determined, and the system is calibrated to indicate that an alarm condition exists, i.e. a blockage of the drain line has occurred, if sound levels fall below the predetermined minimum for a predetermined length of time.

4

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. An alarm device for detecting blockages in sewer pipes that connect structures to sewer lines, comprising a clean out cap having a microphone positioned to detect ambient sound in the sewer line, and send a signal indicative of the level of sound to an alarm device, said alarm device having means to indicate an alarm condition if the level of ambient sound in the sewer detected by the microphone falls below a predetermined level.