Systems and methods for detecting a liquid
View Patent ↗Systems and methods for detecting a liquid. Detection a liquid may include detecting liquid at a boundary of an area and reporting the presence of the liquid. Reporting liquid at a boundary may prevent leaking of the liquid from the area. Detecting also includes detecting liquid inside the area. The amount of liquid detected inside the boundary may relate to a range of amounts of liquid. The minimum amount of the range may represent the minimum amount of liquid that is permissible in the area prior to taking action to deal with the liquid.
1. A system for detecting at least one of a liquid in an area and the liquid exiting the area, the system comprising:
a first conductor; and
a second conductor; wherein:
absent the liquid, no electrical circuit exists between the first conductor and the second conductor;
a first portion of the first conductor and a second portion of the second conductor are positioned along an outer boundary of the area, the first portion is positioned at most a first distance from the second portion;
a third portion of the first conductor and a fourth portion of the second conductor are positioned within the boundary, the third portion is positioned at least as second distance from the fourth portion;
the first distance is less than the second distance;
an electrical circuit between the first conductor and the second conductor indicates at least one of the liquid is positioned within the boundary of the area and the liquid is crossing the boundary so as to exit the area.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein the electrical circuit between the first conductor and the second conductor indicates at least one of:
the liquid has spread within the boundary at least the second distance; and
the liquid had spread across the first portion and the second portion at the boundary.
3. The system of claim 2 wherein the area of the spread of the liquid is at least the square of one-half of the second distance times pi.
4. The system of claim 2 wherein the area of the spread of the liquid is at least the square of one-half of the first distance times pi.
5. The system of claim 1 further comprising an absorbent layer wherein:
the area of the absorbent layer is coextensive with the area;
the first portion is positioned proximate to an edge of the absorbent layer;
the second portion is positioned proximate to an edge of the absorbent layer;
the liquid crossing the boundary indicates the liquid is leaking from the absorbent layer.
6. The system of claim 1 wherein the first distance is significantly less than the second distance.
7. The system of claim 6 wherein significantly less comprises the first distance being at least an order of magnitude less than the second distance.
8. The system of claim 1 wherein the first portion, the second portion, the third portion and the fourth portion are positioned in the same plane.
9. The system of claim 1 wherein:
the first portion and the second portion are positioned in a first plane; and
the third portion and the fourth portion are positioned in a second plane.
10. A system for detecting at least one of a liquid in an area and the liquid exiting the area, the system comprising:
a first conductor;
a second conductor; wherein;
a magnitude of an impedance of the first conductor and the magnitude of an impedance of the second conductor is less than a magnitude of an impedance of the liquid;
a first portion of the first conductor and a second portion of the second conductor are positioned along an outer boundary of the area, the first portion is positioned at most a first distance from the second portion;
a third portion of the first conductor and a fourth portion of the second conductor are positioned within the boundary, the third portion is positioned at least as second distance from the fourth portion;
the first distance is less than the second distance;
detecting a magnitude of an impedance of the first conductor and the second conductor less than a first threshold indicates that the liquid is crossing the boundary so as to exit the area; and
detecting a magnitude of an impedance of the first conductor and the second conductor greater than a second threshold indicates that the liquid is positioned within the boundary of the area.
11. The system of claim 10 wherein the first threshold is less than the second threshold.
12. The system of claim 10 wherein the first threshold is related to the first distance.
13. The system of claim 10 wherein the second threshold is related to the second distance.
14. The system of claim 10 wherein the first threshold is equal to the second threshold.
15. A system for detecting at least one of a liquid in an area and the liquid exiting the area, the system comprising:
a first conductor;
a second conductor; wherein;
a magnitude of an impedance per unit length of the first conductor and the magnitude of an impedance per unit length of the second conductor is greater than a magnitude of an impedance of the liquid;
a first portion of the first conductor and a second portion of the second conductor are positioned along an outer boundary of the area, the first portion is positioned at most a first distance from the second portion;
a third portion of the first conductor and a fourth portion of the second conductor are positioned within the boundary, the third portion is positioned at least as second distance from the fourth portion;
the first distance is less than the second distance;
a magnitude of an impedance per unit length of the first portion and the second portion is less than a magnitude of an impedance per unit length of the third portion and the fourth portion;
detecting a magnitude of an impedance of the first conductor and the second conductor less than a threshold indicates that the liquid is crossing the boundary so as to exit the area; and
detecting a magnitude of an impedance of the first conductor and the second conductor greater than a threshold indicates that the liquid is positioned within the boundary of the area.
16. The system of claim 15 wherein the magnitude of the impedance of the first portion and the second portion is at least an order of magnitude less than the magnitude of the third portion and the fourth portion.