1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a leak locator, system and method of use and, more particularly, to a portable leak locator that can be easily used, in situ, to easily locate a leak in a tire or other closed environment.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various methods of locating a leak in a tire are known. For example, it is known to remove a tire from a vehicle or conveyance and place it in a trough of water, so as to locate the leak through the detection of air bubbles.
Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,170,658 to Thayer discloses a portable bicycle tire leak detector apparatus which is adapted to be attachable to a bicycle frame or conventional bicycle tire pump. The apparatus of Thayer includes a water bottle having a trough member releasably mounted thereto. The trough member is adapted to contain a quantity of water in a manner allowing an inner-tube of a bicycle tire to be submerged in the trough member. See, for example,
What is needed is a leak locator, system and method for detecting a tire leak that is light-weight, portable and which does not require the inner tube of the tire to be removed and submerged into a trough of water.
The present invention satisfies the needs set forth above and, in particular, provides a leak locator, system and method that is light-weight, portable and which does not require submersion into a trough of water. More particularly, a leak locator, system and method are provided that can be used to locate a leak in a closed environment, including tires, pipes, inflatables and other closed air/fluid filed structures, in situ. In one particular embodiment, the leak locator is provided in the form of a kit that includes an applicator and a leak locating/detecting liquid. The applicator includes a portion that is moistened and/or saturated by the leak detecting liquid, which portion is used to wipe or brush a film of the liquid onto a surface to be checked. The leak detecting liquid is formulated to make bubbles to be formed in the film on the surface to be checked as a consequence of air or another fluid escaping from a leak in the surface.
Other features, which are considered as characteristic for the invention, are set forth in the drawings and the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a leak locator, system and method of use, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction of the invention, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of the specific embodiment when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
For a fuller understanding of the nature of the present invention reference should be made to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:
A leak locator, system and method are provided that enables the detection of the location of a leak without having to remove a tire from the rim or wheel. Although the present particular invention will be described in connection with a bicycle tire having an inner tube, it should be understood that the present invention can be adapted for use in other applications in which air or other fluid is entrapped in a closed environment or “envelope” (e.g., tubeless tired, car/truck tired, fluid carrying piped, air mattresses, inflatable boats or rafts, etc) without departing from the scope or spirit of the present invention. Additionally, it should be noted that the term “leak”, as used herein, encompasses any opening, loose seal/joint, or puncture that permits the air or other fluid to escape from the envelope (inner tube and/or tire, in the present example), and “puncture”, as used herein, encompasses all types of perforations, cuts, holes or wounds to the tire that cause it to lose air.
Referring now to
In one particular embodiment of the present invention, the liquid is formulated to leave a film on the surface, as a sponge containing the liquid is wiped over the surface. In one particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, a liquid or bubbling solution is formulated including water, a surfactant and glycerin (hereafter, the “glycerin solution”). For example, a solution including water, dish soap (or detergent) and glycerin can be used. In one particular embodiment of the invention, the leak detecting liquid consists of only water, a surfactant, glycerin and trace impurities. The use of glycerin in combination with the dish soap solution is highly advantageous in that bubbles generated from regular soapy water normally do not last very long. The addition of glycerin will make the bubbles much larger and last longer than a solution of dish soap alone. Consequently, once applied to the surface to be checked, for example, by brushing or wiping onto the surface with a sponge saturated with the glycerin solution, easily visible bubbles will form immediately at the leak sites, due to residual air or fluid released from those sites.
More particularly, referring back to
Referring now to
Additionally, in one particular embodiment of the invention, the leak locator of the present invention is packaged with, or as part of, a leak repair kit. Consequently, once the leak site(s) is/are located by visually finding the portions of the applied film that have bubbles, the method can further include using the kit to repair the leak. In one particular embodiment of the invention in which the surface to be checked is a tire, the leak locator of the present invention is provided as part of a tire repair kit and, after the leaks are located by visually detecting the bubbles in the film, the tire repair kit is used to repair the tire, in situ. In one particular embodiment of the invention, a patch is placed on, in or over the leak site. In another particular embodiment of the invention, the leak locator is provided as part of a patch kit as described in connection with co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/092,404, filed on Nov. 27, 2013 and entitled “Tire Repair Tool, System and Method of Use”.
Although shown in connection with the applicator 10, it is important to note that other applicators can be used to apply the film 22 to the surface to be checked without departing from the scope or spirit of the present invention. For example, referring now to
Referring now to
Similarly, if desired, a kit may be provided including an applicator as described U.S. Pat. No. 6,010,268 to Sereg et al (“Sereg”), that application being incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. In use, the handle component 12 of Sereg can be filled with a leak detecting liquid, such as the glycerin and soap solution described hereinabove, and such solution can be spread over the surface of a tire or other surface by wiping the surface of the sponge over the surface, in order to apply a thin film of the solution to the surface of the tire. As described above, air or fluid escaping from a puncture or leak in the tire will cause bubbles to be generated in the film overlaying the leak or puncture, and thus will allow the leak or puncture to be easily located. Other types of liquid dispensing applicators can additionally be used. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,947,015 to Burt, incorporated herein by reference.
In a further embodiment of the invention shown in
If desired, the applicator can be a disposable towel pre-moistened with the leak detection liquid. Such a pre-moistened towel can be provided in a cylinder, box or bag as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,076,424 to Nakamura, which is incorporated herein, by reference.
Additionally, if desired, pre-moistened towels can be provided as individually wrapped and/or packaged wipes saturated with the leak detecting liquid. For example, the pre-moistened towel can be provided in a foil packet that is torn to access the towel.
Even other types of applicators may be used with the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the present invention. For example, in one particular embodiment of the invention, the leak detecting liquid, such as the glycerin solution described herein, is provided in a frangible tube which is broken in order to release the liquid into a swab, sponge or towel for use in applying the liquid film to a surface to be checked. In one particular embodiment of the invention shown in
Referring now to
Referring now to
Please note that the foregoing is provided for example, and is not meant to limit the invention only thereto, as other applicators and leak detecting liquids can be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. From the foregoing, it can be seen that the present invention provides a convenient, portable leak locator that saves time and money. The present invention eliminates the inconveniences of the prior art, including removal and reinstallation of the tire. Rather, the leak locator of the present invention is light-weight, portable, and self-contained, and can be used, in situ, on a tire that is still installed on the vehicle.
Although described herein in connection with the particular example of a tire for a bicycle or other vehicle, this is not meant to be limiting, as it can be seen how the leak locator, system and method of the present invention can be used in other applications without departing from the scope or spirit of the present invention, including, but not limited to, any kind of pipe, inflatable boat or mattress, or any other environment where air or fluid is passed into a closed environment. Accordingly, while a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown and described herein, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise than as herein specifically illustrated or described, and that within the embodiments certain changes in the detail and construction, as well as the arrangement of the parts, may be made without departing from the principles of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.