JP2011021347A - Water leakage detecting method for pipe and piping structure for detecting water leakage - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily set a water leakage detecting sensor to a pipe and to surely detect water leakage by preventing erroneous operation by the water leakage detection sensor. <P>SOLUTION: In this water leakage detecting method for detecting water leakage from the pipe 2 connected to a plumbing facility, the string-like water leakage detection sensor 11 detecting water leakage is wound around a connection part 10 of a joint 3 for connecting pipes mutually and the pipe 2 to detect water leakage. The connection parts 10 are formed in at least two sections or more by the connection of the joint to the pipe 2, and each of the connection parts 10 is step-likely formed by the connection of the joint 3 to the pipe 2. The water leakage detection sensor 11 is wound around along respective steps 16, and the sections around which the water leakage detection sensor is wound along each step 16 are mutually connected to detect water leakage. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a water leak detection method and a water leak detection pipe structure for detecting a water leak caused by, for example, loosening of a joint caused by repeated vibration caused by an earthquake or the like with respect to a pipe connected to a water facility of a house. It is.

Conventionally, piping for draining water from a toilet is connected to a water facility such as a toilet in a house, but water leakage may occur from such a piping. It is necessary to detect water leaks from the pipes as soon as they have various adverse effects on the house, and there is one disclosed in Patent Document 1 as a water leak detection sensor for detecting such water leaks.
The water leak detection sensor of Patent Document 1 includes electrode wires composed of a pair of conductors insulated from each other by an insulator that penetrates the detection target liquid while being water-resistant, and is provided on the outer periphery of the core including the pair of electrode wires. A braid layer that is at least liquid-absorbing is coated.

  When constructing such a water leak detection sensor, it is wound around the entire pipe, thereby detecting water leak from the pipe.

JP 06-201507 A

In residential water facilities, condensation occurs due to the temperature difference between the piping and the atmosphere (atmosphere), and the water droplets generated by the condensation collect into large water droplets that travel along the outer periphery of the piping and collect below the piping. was there.
Therefore, when the water leak detection sensor is wrapped around the entire pipe as in the past, the construction is not only difficult, but the water leak detection sensor reacts due to water droplets gathered under the pipe due to condensation. There was a case of malfunction.
Therefore, in view of the above problems, the present invention can easily provide a water leak detection sensor in a pipe, and can prevent a malfunction caused by the water leak detection sensor and reliably detect a water leak. It aims at providing a water leak detection method and a water leak detection piping structure.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention takes the following technical means.
That is, the technical means by the method for solving the problems in the present invention is a water leak detection method for detecting water leaks in pipes connected to water facilities, in a joint between the joint and the pipe connecting the pipes. The water leak is detected by wrapping a water leak detection sensor that is string-like and detects water leak.
The connection portion is at least two places by connecting the joint and the pipe, and each connection portion has a step shape due to the connection between the joint and the pipe, and the water leak detection sensor is disposed along each step. It is preferable to detect water leakage by winding.

The connection portion is formed at two locations by connecting the joint and the pipe. The one side in the longitudinal direction of the water leak detection sensor is wound along the entire circumference of one step, and the water leak detection sensor is attached to the joint. It is preferable that the water leakage is detected by extending toward the other step while being along the outer peripheral surface, and winding along the entire circumference of the other step.
When extending the water leak detection sensor from the one step to the other step, the water leak detection sensor is extended along the outer peripheral surface on the upper side of the joint to detect the water leak. It is preferable to do.

The technical means of the object for solving the problems in the present invention is a pipe connection structure connected to a water facility. It is in the point where the water leak detection sensor to detect is wound.
The connection portion is at least two places by connecting the joint and the pipe, and each connection portion has a step shape due to the connection between the joint and the pipe, and the water leak detection sensor is disposed along each step. While winding, it is preferable that the part wound along each level | step difference is connected mutually.

  The connecting portion is formed at two locations by connecting the joint and the pipe. The one side in the longitudinal direction of the water leak detection sensor is wound along the entire circumference of one step, and the water leak detection sensor is attached to the joint. It is preferable to extend along the outer peripheral surface toward the other step and wind around the entire circumference of the other step. It is preferable that the water leak detection sensor extends along the upper outer peripheral surface of the joint.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, while being able to provide a water leak detection sensor in piping easily, the malfunction by a water leak detection sensor can be prevented and a water leak can be detected reliably.

It is a figure which shows the connection structure of the piping connected to the water facility. It is the side surface and internal cross section of a water leak detection sensor. It is a side surface enlarged view in the state where a water leak detection sensor was installed in piping and a joint. It is AA sectional drawing of FIG. It is a side view of the 1st modification of the water leak detection method of piping, and a water leak detection piping structure. It is a side view at the time of applying the arrangement of a water leak detection sensor to an L-shaped joint. It is a side view of the 2nd modification of the water leak detection method of piping, and a water leak detection piping structure. It is the external appearance schematic of a 2nd modification.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
The pipe water leak detection method of the present invention is for detecting a water leak from a pipe connected to a water facility. The water leak detection method for piping will be described together with the piping connection structure.
FIG. 1 shows a connection structure of piping connected to a water facility such as a toilet in a house. As shown in FIG. 1, one end (upper end) of a pipe-shaped vertical pipe 2a is connected to the drainage portion of the toilet body 1, and the other end (lower end) of the vertical pipe 2a is connected to one end of an L-shaped joint (elbow) 3a ( Upper end) is connected, and one end of a pipe-like horizontal pipe 2b is connected to the other end (right end) of the L-shaped joint 3a.

The vertical pipe 2 a is provided through the floor 5 where the toilet body 1 is installed, and is supported by the floor 5 via a support fitting 6. The horizontal pipe 2b is provided with a pipe space K provided on the lower side of the floor part 5, and supported by a base part 7 provided on the lower side of the pipe space K via a support fitting 8.
The connecting portion 10 that connects the L-shaped joint 3a and the pipes 2a and 2b is provided with a water leakage detection sensor 11 that is string-like and detects water leakage.
As shown in FIG. 2, the water leak detection sensor 11 has a string shape that can be freely deformed, and can detect water leak at any location.

Specifically, the water leak detection sensor 11 includes two electrodes 12 and a cover portion 13 that covers the electrodes 12. When a predetermined amount of water (moisture) adheres to the cover portion 13, the impedance of the electrode 12 is increased. By changing, water leakage can be detected. The electrode 12 is connected to an alarm device 14 that notifies water leakage through an electric cable 21. When a water leak is detected by the water leak detection sensor 11, the alarm device 14 is activated to notify the water leak.
Further, in the water leak detection sensor 11, when a predetermined amount of moisture adheres to the cover portion 13, the colorant (for example, red) 50 provided inside the cover portion 13 penetrates into the outer peripheral surface of the cover portion 13. Thus, the location of the water leak can be identified by looking at the location where the colorant 50 penetrates into the cover 13.

In addition, although the thing shown in FIG. 2 was illustrated as the water leak detection sensor 11, if it is a thing which can be deform | transformed and can be wound around the connection part 10 and can detect a water leak, FIG. It is not limited to things. The alarm device 14 may be installed in a house, or may be installed in a management sensor or the like that manages the house via a network such as a LAN.
Hereinafter, the water leak detection method and the water leak detection pipe structure of the pipe will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1, 3, and 4. In addition, the symbol (S1-S5) in “□” shown in FIG. 3 indicates a procedure for winding the water leak detection sensor 11 around the pipe.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the upper end of the L-shaped joint 3a is connected to the lower end of the vertical pipe 2a, and the left end of the horizontal pipe 2b is connected to the right end of the L-shaped joint 3a. It is a place. For convenience of explanation, the connecting part 10 between the vertical pipe 2a and the L-shaped joint 3a is referred to as a first connecting part 10a, and the connecting part 10 between the horizontal pipe 2b and the L-shaped joint 3a is referred to as a second connecting part 10b. Moreover, since the outer diameter of the L-shaped joint 3a is larger than the outer diameter of the vertical pipe 2a or the horizontal pipe 2b, the first connection part 10a and the second connection part 10b are stepped.
In this embodiment, the water leak detection sensor 11 is wound around the first connection portion 10a between the vertical pipe 2a and the L-shaped joint 3a, and the water leak detection is also performed at the second connection portion 10b between the horizontal pipe 2b and the L-shaped joint 3a. In this state, the sensor 11 is wound.

Thus, in order to wind the water leak detection sensor 11 around the first connection portion 10a and the second connection portion 10b, as shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, first, one water leak detection sensor 11 is connected. prepare.
And the longitudinal direction one end side (upper end) of this water leak detection sensor 11 is fixed to the vertical piping 2a via the fastener (insulation lock) 15 (S1). Then, after making the longitudinal direction one end side of the said water leak detection sensor 11 adjoin to the level | step difference 16a of the 1st connection part 10a, it makes 1 round along the said level | step difference 16a by making the adjoining part the base point 17, The water leak detection sensor 11 is wound over the entire circumference of the step 16a of the one connection portion 10a (S2). At this time, the portion of the water leak detection sensor 11 wound around the step 16a of the first connection portion 10a is as much as possible around the connection port on one side (upper end) of the L-shaped joint 3a (to be along the edge of the connection port). It is preferable to make it approach.

And after making the water leak detection sensor 11 wound around the perimeter of the level | step difference 16a of the 1st connection part 10a cross the vicinity of the base point 17, the said water leak detection sensor 11 is made to the outer peripheral surface (bending | flexion of the L-shaped joint 3a). The outer peripheral surface (outer outer peripheral surface) 18 is extended to the lower side and is extended to the right side so as to approach the step 16b of the second connecting portion 10b (S3). This water leak detection sensor 11 is fixed to the L-shaped joint 3a by a fastener 15 provided in the middle of the L-shaped joint 3a.
Further, after the water leak detection sensor 11 is brought close to the step 16b of the second connection portion 10b, the entire portion of the step 16b of the second connection portion 10b is made by making one round along the step 16b with the adjacent portion as the base point 20. The water leak detection sensor 11 is wound over the circumference (S4). At this time, the water leak detection sensor 11 wound around the step 16b of the second connection portion 10b is as close as possible to the periphery of the other (right end) connection port of the L-shaped joint 3a (to be along the edge of the connection port). It is preferable to do so.

After winding the water leak detection sensor 11 around the step 16b of the second connection portion 10b, after crossing in the vicinity of the base point 20, the other end (right end) of the water leak detection sensor 11 and the electric cable 21 One end (left end) is connected by crimping via the crimp terminal 22 (S5). Then, the other end (right end) of the electric cable 21 is connected to the alarm device 14 (S6).
In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, one side (upper end) in the longitudinal direction of the water leak detection sensor 11 is wound along the entire circumference of the step 16 a of the first connection portion 10 a, and the water leak detection sensor 11 is connected to the joint 3. It extends along the outer circumferential surface (referred to as the bent outer surface) 18 of the bent outer side of the second connecting portion 10b toward the step 16b of the second connecting portion 10b and winds along the entire circumference of the step 16b of the second connecting portion 10b. ing. In other words, in such a water leak detection piping structure, a water leak transmitted to the first detection portion 25 that detects water leak around the first connection portion 10a and the bent outer surface 18 of the L-shaped joint 3a is detected. The 2nd detection part 26 and the 3rd detection part 28 which detects the water leak around the 2nd connection part 10b are comprised.

  Therefore, for example, when water leaks from the first connection portion 10 between the vertical pipe 2a and the L-shaped joint 3a due to loosening of the joint caused by repeated vibration due to an earthquake or the like, the water is wound around the first connection portion 10a. A water leak can be detected by the water leak detection sensor 11 (first detection unit 25), and water leaked from the first connection portion 10a to the bent outer surface 18 is also detected by the water leak detection sensor 11 (second detection). Part 26). Furthermore, when water leaks from the second connection portion 10b between the horizontal pipe 2b and the L-shaped joint 3a, the water leak is detected by the water leak detection sensor 11 (third detection portion 28) wound around the second connection portion 10b. Can be detected.

  In the water leak detection method and the water leak detection pipe structure as described above, unlike the conventional technique, the water leak detection sensor 11 is provided at the connection portion 10 between the pipe 2 and the joint where water leak is likely to occur. The water leakage detection sensor 11 is also provided on the bent outer surface 18 where water easily flows when water leaks from the connecting portion 10, and the water leakage detection sensor 11 is not provided in other portions. Therefore, according to the present invention, when the water leak detection sensor 11 is constructed in the pipe 2, the length of the water leak detection sensor 11 can be shortened, and the work for constructing the water leak detection sensor 11 is also reduced. be able to.

In addition to this, in particular, the connection portion (area A in FIG. 1) between the pipe 2 and the joint is naturally thicker than the other portions because they are superposed, so dew condensation due to temperature differences, etc. Water droplets that are less likely to occur are much less than other parts. Therefore, in the present invention, attention is also paid to this point, and the water leak detection sensor 11 is prevented from malfunctioning by passing the water leak detection sensor 11 through a portion where condensation is unlikely to occur.
In other words, in the present invention, as described above, the water leak detection sensor 11 is directly wound around the connection portion 10 between the pipe 2 and the joint, so that the water leak from the pipe 2 can be reliably detected. Further, it is also possible to prevent the water leak detection sensor 11 from causing an error movement due to water droplets due to condensation as in the prior art.

FIG. 5 shows a modified example (first modified example) of the water leak detecting method and the water leak detecting piping structure of the pipe 2.
In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 described above, the L-shaped joint 3a has been exemplified and described. However, the present invention can also be applied to a T-shaped joint (cheese) 3b as shown in FIG. it can.
As shown in FIG. 5, since it is the T-shaped joint 3b, there are at least two connecting portions 10 and two or more steps. Even in such a case, the water leak detection sensor 11 may be wound along the step 16 of each connecting portion 10 and the portions wound along the respective steps 16 may be connected to each other.

For convenience of explanation, the connecting part 10 between the vertical pipe 2a and the T-shaped joint 3b is the first connecting part 10a, the connecting part 10 between the right end of the horizontal pipe 2b and the T-shaped joint 3b is the second connecting part 10b, and the horizontal pipe 2b. The connecting portion 10 between the left end and the T-shaped joint 3b is referred to as a third connecting portion 10c.
In order to construct the water leak detection sensor 11, first, one water leak detection sensor 11 is prepared, and one end side (left end) in the longitudinal direction of the water leak detection sensor 11 is connected to the left side via the fastener 15. After fixing to the horizontal pipe 2b (S10), the longitudinal direction one end side (left end) 11 of the leak detection sensor 11 is brought close to the step 16c of the third connection part 10c, and then the close part is used as the base point 30. By making one round along the step 16c, the water leak detection sensor 11 is wound over the entire circumference of the step 16c of the third connecting portion 10c (S11).

And after making the water leak detection sensor 11 wound around the perimeter of the level | step difference 16c of the 3rd connection part 10c crossing in the vicinity of the base point 30, the water leak detection sensor 11 is made into the outer peripheral surface (bending inside) of the T-shaped joint 3b. The outer peripheral surface of the first connecting portion 10a is extended to the right side and extended to the upper side so as to approach the step 16a of the first connecting portion 10a (S12).
In addition, after the water leak detection sensor 11 is brought close to the step 16a of the first connection portion 10a, the water leak detection sensor is made over the entire circumference of the step 16a of the first connection portion 10a by making one turn along the step 16a. 11 is wound (S13). After the water leak detection sensor 11 is wound around the step 16a of the first connection portion 10a, the water leak detection sensor 11 is extended downward along the outer peripheral surface (referred to as the bent inner surface) 32 of the T-shaped joint 3b. And extending to the right side to approach the step 16b of the second connection portion 10b (S14).

In addition, after the water leak detection sensor 11 is brought close to the step 16b of the second connection portion 10b, the water leak detection sensor is made over the entire circumference of the step 16b of the second connection portion 10b by making one turn along the step. 11 is wound (S15). After winding the water leak detection sensor 11 around the step 16b of the second connection portion 10b, the other end (right end) of the water leak detection sensor 11 and one end (left end) of the electric cable 21 are connected to the crimp terminal 22. Connect by caulking through. Then, the other end (right end) of the electric cable 21 is connected to the alarm device 14.
In the water leak detection piping structure shown in FIG. 5, the water leak detection sensor 11 is extended from the step 16b (one step) of the second connection portion 10b toward the step 16a (the other step) of the first connection portion 10a. Or when extending from the step 16a (one step) of the first connecting portion 10a toward the step 16c (the other step) of the third connecting portion 10c, the outer peripheral surface on the upper side of the T-shaped joint 3b The water leak detection sensor 11 is extended along the bent inner side surfaces 31 and 32.

Therefore, the total length of the water leak detection sensor 11 can be further shortened, and water droplets or the like are less likely to collect on the upper surface side (bent inner side surfaces 31 and 32), thereby further preventing the error detection of the water leak detection sensor 11. It becomes possible. In other words, the outer peripheral surfaces (bent inner surfaces 31, 32) on the upper side of the joint are portions that are least affected by water droplets or the like in the piping structure. It becomes possible to find a leak.
When the arrangement of the water leak detection sensor 11 shown in FIG. 5 is applied to the L-shaped joint 3a, as shown in FIG. 6, along the outer peripheral surface (bent inner surface 36) on the upper side of the L-shaped joint 3a. By extending the water leak detection sensor 11, the water leak detection sensor 11 of the first connection portion 10a and the water leak detection sensor 11 of the second connection portion 10b are connected.

7 and 8 show a modified example (second modified example) of the water leak detecting method and the water leak detecting pipe structure of the pipe 2.
In the above description, the water leak detection sensor 11 is wound directly around the pipe 2 and the joint. However, in the second modification shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the sound insulating material 40 that covers the pipe 2 and the joint is provided. A water leak detection sensor 11 is wound around the sound insulating material 40.
As shown in FIG. 7, a sound insulating material 40 is provided so as to cover the outer peripheral surface of the vertical pipe 2a and to cover the outer peripheral surface of the L-shaped joint 3a. The sound insulating material 40 also covers the outer peripheral surface of the horizontal pipe 2b. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, since the vertical pipe 2a, the horizontal pipe 2b, or the L-shaped joint 3a is covered with the sound insulating material 40, the first connection part 10a and the second connection part 10b are stepped. Not.

In such a state, in the sound insulating material 40, the sound insulating material 40 is cut from the outside to the inside in the second connecting portion 10b corresponding to the connection position between the horizontal pipe 2b and the L-shaped joint 3a. A notch 43 for discharging water from the inside of 40 to the outside is formed. When making the cut, the cut is made in the circumferential direction of the sound insulating material 40 below the second connecting portion 10b (S20).
And in the sound insulation material 40, the water leak detection sensor 11 is wound over the 1st connection part 10a close | similar to the connection position of the vertical piping 2a and the L-shaped coupling 3a over the perimeter (S21). And the water leak detection sensor 11 is extended to the lower side and the right side along the bending outer side surface 45 of the sound insulating material 40 along the bending outer side surface 18 of the L-shaped joint 3a, and the said water leak detection sensor 11 is set to the right side. It approaches the 2nd connection part 10b in the sound insulating material 40 (S22). When extending the water leak detection sensor 11, the water leak detection sensor 11 is extended to reach the second connection portion 10 b so as to pass (cross) the cut portion 43. The water leak detection sensor 11 is wound around the entire circumference of the second connection portion 10b in the sound insulating material 40 (S23).

Even when the sound insulating material 40 is provided in the pipe 2 or the joint, the cut portion 43 is provided in the second connection portion 10b, and water is passed through the lower side of the cut portion 43 provided in the second connection portion 10b. Since the leak detection sensor 11 is provided, it is possible to detect water leakage from the second connection portion 10b. Moreover, even if water leaks from the first connecting portion 10a, the water passing through the gap L between the sound insulating material 40 and the joint reaches the second connecting portion 10b and is discharged from the cutout portion 43 to the outside. It is also possible to detect water leakage from the one connection portion 10a.
The embodiment disclosed this time should be considered as illustrative in all points and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, rather than the description above, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims. In the above embodiment, a toilet is illustrated as the water facility, but the water facility is not limited to this, and may be a washroom, a kitchen, a bathroom, or the like.

  In the above embodiment, the single water leak detection sensor 11 is used to install from the first connection portion 10a to the second connection portion b, or from the first connection portion 10a to the third connection portion c. Although installed by routing, a plurality of water leak detection sensors 11 may be prepared and each water leak detection sensor 11 may be individually wound around each of the connection portions 10a, 10b, and 10c. In the above-described embodiment, the description has been given by taking, as an example, a water leak that occurs due to loosening of a joint caused by repeated vibration due to an earthquake or the like. It is natural that the present invention is not limited to water leaks caused by earthquakes, and the present invention is applicable to water leaks caused by various factors.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Toilet body 2 Piping 2a Vertical piping 2b Horizontal piping 3 Joint 3a L-shaped joint 3b T-shaped joint 10 Connection part 10a First connection part 10b Second connection part 10c Third connection part 11 Water leak detection sensor 16 Step 16a First connection Step 16b at the second connection Step 16c at the second connection Step 18 at the third connection 18 Bent outer surface 32 Bent inner surface 40 Sound insulation material

Claims (8)

In the water leak detection method for detecting water leaks in pipes connected to water facilities,
The water of a pipe characterized by detecting a water leak by wrapping a water leak detection sensor, which is string-like and detects a water leak, around a joint between the joint connecting the pipes and the pipe Leak detection method.   The connection portion is at least two places by connecting the joint and the pipe, and each connection portion has a step shape due to the connection between the joint and the pipe, and the water leak detection sensor is disposed along each step. The water leak detection method for piping according to claim 1, wherein the water leak is detected by winding.   The connection portion is formed at two locations by connecting the joint and the pipe. The one side in the longitudinal direction of the water leak detection sensor is wound along the entire circumference of one step, and the water leak detection sensor is attached to the joint. The pipe according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a water leak is detected by extending along the outer peripheral surface toward the other step and winding along the entire circumference of the other step. Water leak detection method.   When extending the water leak detection sensor from the one step to the other step, the water leak detection sensor is extended along the outer peripheral surface on the upper side of the joint to detect water leak. The method for detecting a water leak in a pipe according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: In the connection structure of piping connected to water facilities,
A water leakage detection piping structure, wherein a water leakage detection sensor for detecting water leakage is wound around a connection portion between a joint that connects the pipings and the piping.   The connection portion is at least two places by connecting the joint and the pipe, and each connection portion has a step shape due to the connection between the joint and the pipe, and the water leak detection sensor is disposed along each step. The water leak detection piping structure according to claim 5, wherein the portions wound along the steps are connected to each other while being wound.   The connection portion is formed at two locations by connecting the joint and the pipe. The one side in the longitudinal direction of the water leak detection sensor is wound along the entire circumference of one step, and the water leak detection sensor is attached to the joint. The water leakage detection piping structure according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the water leakage detection piping structure is provided so as to extend toward the other step while being along the outer peripheral surface and wound along the entire circumference of the other step.   The water leak detection piping structure according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the water leak detection sensor extends along an outer peripheral surface on an upper side of the joint.

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