| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20080204259 | MOISTURE DETECTION SENSOR TAPE AND PROBES TO DETERMINE SURFACE MOISTURE AND MATERIAL MOISTURE LEVELS - A moisture detection sensor is used in a building structure to detect moisture penetration. The sensor is a flat adhesive tape of a substrate of dielectric, hydrophobic material. Three or four elongate, parallel, conductors are secured to the top surface and a protective layer of non-hygroscopic, water pervious material is secured over two of the conductors so that they are exposed to surface moisture. One or two of the conductors are covered by an insulating layer to prevent moisture access. Pairs of moisture probes along the length of the tape penetrate the insulating layer, the respective conductors and the substrate and to extend into a building component to which the substrate has been adhered. A diode guide arrangement allows a monitoring unit to monitor the exposed conductors for surface moisture and the penetrated conductors for moisture in the component by reversing polarity of the voltage across the conductors. | 08-28-2008 |
| 20090033507 | MOISTURE MONITORING SYSTEM FOR BUILDINGS - A method of monitoring moisture in a building is carried out using moisture detectors, which provide an output resistance value ranging from a dry value in the absence of moisture and different wet values in the presence of moisture depending on the quantity of moisture. Rather than emit an alarm based solely on a moisture threshold, a risk assessment of potential damage is calculated for at least a part of the building using the wet values from the moisture detectors for the sensor zones using as input data the wet values and as a first additional factor a value which is indicative of a total area of the moisture as provided by the number of sensor zones that are responding with a wet value and as a second additional value the number of consecutive time periods that the sensor zone has reported wet value. The calculation can use computer modeling to calculate a risk factor for growth of mold or a risk factor for growth of timber decay fungi | 02-05-2009 |
| 20090044595 | METHOD AND APPARATUS TO DETECT AND LOCATE ROOF LEAKS - A leak in a membrane on top of a horizontal roof deck is located by applying conductive wires on the membrane underneath the aggregate in a grid pattern. A measuring and switching circuit generates voltage having a positive attached to the roof deck and a negative attached to the wires. The circuit has a relay for each wire which can be switched between a current sensor system and the negative potential. The sensor system is arranged to sense at each of the wires in turn the current flowing from the roof deck through any leak in the membrane to the wire. A microprocessor operates the relays in turn to connect all the other wires to the negative as a shield while each wire is sensed. From the output of the grid the changes in current in the x and y directions are analyzed to locate the leak in the membrane. | 02-19-2009 |
| 20090139178 | METHOD AND APPARATUS TO DETECT AND LOCATE DAMAGE AND BREACHES IN ROOF MEMBRANES - A leak in a membrane on top of a horizontal roof deck is located by a manually operable carriage which is swept over the upper surface of the membrane on the roof deck. A measuring and switching circuit generates a voltage having a positive attached to the roof deck and a negative attached to conductive brushes on the carriage. The brushes are arranged to form an outer peripheral contact with an inner contact inside the outer contact. Thus the presence of a leak is detected by the outer set of conductive brushes at distance from the leak and by the inner conductive brush when directly over the leakage site. | 06-04-2009 |
| 20090199506 | METHOD TO DETECT AND LOCATE A BREACH IN VERTICAL OR HORIZONTAL INTERSECTIONS IN A MEMBRANE OF A ROOF - A defect in a horizontal or vertical seam at the edge of a roof membrane is detected by applying a DC voltage between the roof deck a probe in the form of a flexible wetted sponge and wiping the sponge probe over the seams. The current to the probe is detected and indicated to the operator so that the operator may determine a maximum current at the defect. The receiver provides an audible signal emitter to the operator and includes a calibration circuit arranged to automatically maintain, despite changes in voltage applied between the roof deck and the peripheral conductor, a “0” set calibration point so as to indicate at the calibration point when zero difference in voltage is detected. Conductors can be applied to the membrane to define an area to be tested within the conductors. | 08-13-2009 |
| 20100141283 | METHOD AND APPARATUS TO DETECT AND LOCATE ROOF LEAKS - A leak in a membrane on top of a horizontal roof deck is located by applying conductive wires on the membrane underneath the aggregate in a grid pattern. A measuring and switching circuit generates voltage having a positive attached to the roof deck and a negative attached to the wires. The circuit has a relay for each wire which can be switched between a current sensor system and the negative potential. The sensor system is arranged to sense at each of the wires in turn the current flowing from the roof deck through any leak in the membrane to the wire. A micro-processor operates the relays in turn to connect all the other wires to the negative as a shield while each wire is sensed. From the output of the grid the changes in current in the x and y directions are analyzed to locate the leak in the membrane. | 06-10-2010 |
