Anti-cheating transparent encoder
By adopting a transparent shell and split-encapsulation encoder design, the problems of high difficulty in monitoring existing fuel dispenser encoders and the space for cheating are solved, realizing visual monitoring and signal stability, and preventing cheating.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- BEIJING SANKI GASOLINEEUM TECH
- Filing Date
- 2026-04-29
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-26
AI Technical Summary
Existing fuel dispenser encoders are difficult to monitor and detect due to their non-transparent housing and overall encapsulation structure, and they also have room for cheating, making it impossible to effectively prevent cheating.
It adopts a transparent shell and split packaging structure, using a shell made of tempered glass or transparent nylon material, with the circuit board and mechanical parts separately packaged and sealed with transparent potting compound, ensuring that the internal structure is visible and difficult to illegally modify.
It enables visual supervision, eliminates opportunities for cheating, prevents illegal modifications, and ensures the stability of signal transmission and the reliability of supervision.
Smart Images
Figure CN122282045A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of anti-cheating technology for measuring instruments, and more particularly to an anti-cheating transparent encoder. Background Technology
[0002] The main function of the encoder in a fuel dispenser is to rotate the mechanical movement of the flow measurement variable (a volumetric meter with four chambers and a soft piston) one revolution to dispense 0.5L of fuel. The flow measurement variable is connected to a distribution valve at the top to measure the fuel quantity. The distribution valve then drives the bearing, which in turn drives the encoder to perform mechanical-to-electronic conversion. The encoder generates an electronic signal and outputs it to the fuel dispenser's control board for calculation and display. Therefore, the encoder is a crucial metering output module in a fuel dispenser and the foundation for electronic counting. If the encoder malfunctions, the entire fuel dispenser system becomes unreliable.
[0003] Currently, most fuel dispenser encoders use magnetic induction technology. This involves a circuit board with an induction counting chip connected to a magnet via a bearing. When fuel is dispensed, a flow measurement transducer drives the magnet to rotate, and the induction chip collects the signal for counting. Because the magnet is a rotating component in this method, it cannot be completely encapsulated, resulting in a larger encoder housing. Unscrupulous individuals exploit this space by adding an adapter board and a micro-motor to control the data source. This doesn't change the original anti-cheating key or other security measures; it simply alters the encoder's data input, rendering the existing electrical system's anti-cheating measures ineffective. Even worse, some use CNC machine tools to mill away the original encoder housing, retaining the encapsulated anti-tamper parts, adding a micro-motor and control board, and then reinstalling it in a new encoder housing. This renders the encoder's anti-tamper function ineffective, but it still has cheating capabilities. Because the encoder housing is opaque, there are no effective means of on-site detection to determine if it has been altered, making supervision difficult, increasing the harm of cheating, and damaging a fair competitive market environment.
[0004] 3.2 Existing Technology Currently, fuel dispenser encoders on the market generally adopt the following structure: (1) Non-transparent metal or plastic shell: The shell material is aluminum alloy, cast iron or opaque engineering plastic, and the internal structure cannot be observed from the outside; (2) Black epoxy resin integral encapsulation: The entire components, including the circuit board, magnets, and bearings, are integrally encapsulated in the housing with black epoxy resin, making the internal structure completely invisible; (3) Overall encapsulation structure: All components are encapsulated in the same cavity and cannot be partitioned or isolated.
[0005] 3.3 Disadvantages of Existing Technologies (1) Invisible – Regulatory blind spot. The combination of non-transparent shell and black encapsulation makes the inside of the encoder a "black box". Cheating behavior cannot be detected by the naked eye or routine inspection at the physical level. Regulatory authorities can only rely on electronic verification methods, which poses a risk of technical bypass.
[0006] (2) Non-removable – difficult to detect. Although the overall packaging meets the national standard requirement of “non-openable”, once cheating is suspected, it is impossible to conduct testing and evidence collection without damaging the packaging, which makes law enforcement operations difficult.
[0007] (3) No partitioning - cheating space exists. All components are encapsulated in the same cavity. There is no physical isolation between mechanical parts such as magnets and bearings and the circuit board. Theoretically, there is a cheating space that can affect the pulse signal through magnetic interference or mechanical modification. Summary of the Invention
[0008] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides a transparent encoder for preventing cheating.
[0009] This invention is achieved using the following technical solution: a transparent encoder for preventing cheating, comprising a cable, an external threaded connector fixedly connected to the surface of the cable, a circuit board inserted into the bottom of the external threaded connector, a transparent circuit cavity inserted into the bottom of the circuit board, a transparent potting compound fixedly connected to the inner surface of the transparent circuit cavity, a locking bolt with a hole connected to the surface of the transparent circuit cavity, a mechanical cavity threadedly engaged on the surface of the locking bolt, a magnet assembly engaged inside the mechanical cavity, a bearing assembly fixedly connected to the bottom of the magnet assembly, and mounting plates fixedly connected to both the left and right ends of the mechanical cavity.
[0010] With the above technical solution, the circuit board cavity and the mechanical cavity are isolated separately. Since the mechanical cavity cannot be made transparent, cheating may occur in the mechanical cavity. If the circuit board cavity and the mechanical cavity are isolated, cheating methods in the mechanical cavity can be prevented from being transmitted to the circuit board cavity.
[0011] As a further improvement to the above solution, the cable is located inside the transparent circuit cavity, and the external thread connector is located inside the transparent circuit cavity.
[0012] Through the above technical solution, the shell is integrally formed using transparent material, which is selected from tempered glass or transparent nylon. The shell has the following characteristics: overall light transmittance ≥85%, ensuring that the internal structure is clearly visible; the shell wall thickness is set to 5mm according to the material properties to ensure sufficient mechanical strength; an anti-disassembly structure is set between the shell cover and the base, which leaves irreversible damage marks once opened.
[0013] As a further improvement to the above solution, the mechanical cavity is located at the bottom of the transparent circuit cavity, the magnet assembly is located inside the mechanical cavity, and the bearing assembly is located inside the mechanical cavity.
[0014] Through the above technical solution, the first cavity circuit cavity is used to accommodate circuit boards and electronic components, and is encapsulated with colorless and transparent epoxy resin material with a minimum encapsulation layer thickness of 3mm; the second cavity mechanical cavity is used to accommodate magnet assemblies and bearing assemblies, and is not encapsulated or only partially positioned and fixed to maintain the free movement of mechanical parts.
[0015] As a further improvement to the above scheme, the number of mounting horizontal plates is set to several, and the several mounting horizontal plates are symmetrically distributed on the left and right sides with the mechanical cavity as the center.
[0016] Through the above technical solution, the circuit board and electronic components are encapsulated with colorless and transparent epoxy resin material, which has the following technical characteristics: colorless and transparent epoxy resin with a light transmittance of ≥90%; vacuum casting process to ensure no air bubbles remain; room temperature curing or heat curing at 60-80℃ for 2-4 hours; the circuit board is completely encapsulated after encapsulation, and any contact or alteration with the outside world will damage the encapsulation layer, and the damage marks are visible to the naked eye.
[0017] As a further improvement to the above solution, the top of the circuit board contacts the bottom surface of the cable, the circuit board is located on top of the magnet assembly, and the circuit board is located on top of the bearing assembly.
[0018] As a further improvement to the above solution, the mechanical cavity is located at the bottom of the cable, and the mechanical cavity is located at the bottom of the external thread connector.
[0019] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: This invention features a fully transparent structure for visualized monitoring, separate and independent encapsulation to eliminate cheating opportunities, and a transparent encapsulation system that combines protection and visibility in its anti-cheating transparent encoder. By applying a surface-mounted potting compound to the transparent circuit cavity, the internal circuit board is completely sealed to the cavity, isolating it from external dust and moisture. The curing properties of the potting compound also create an unremovable physical protective layer. The transparent circuit cavity and mechanical cavity are independent, with no internal connection, preventing illegally installed circuit components from communicating through the mechanical cavity's wiring. The transparent circuit cavity and mechanical cavity are secured with perforated locking bolts and can be fitted with custom lead seals to further prevent unauthorized disassembly and the installation of illegal components.
[0020] This invention features a cable tightly connected to a circuit board via an external threaded connector. The circuit board is inserted into a transparent circuit cavity, with a mechanical cavity located at the bottom of the cable and the external threaded connector. All components are compactly integrated around the core function, forming a hierarchical connection structure. This reduces the connection gaps between components, preventing increased vibration and signal transmission loss due to excessive gaps. The tight connection between the external threaded connector and the circuit board ensures the stability of power and signal transmission, reducing attenuation and interference during signal transmission. Attached Figure Description
[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the frontal anatomical structure of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention from a bottom view; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the right-side structure of the present invention.
[0022] Explanation of key symbols: 1. Cable; 2. External thread connector; 3. Transparent circuit cavity; 4. Circuit board; 5. Mechanical cavity; 6. Transparent potting compound; 7. Magnet assembly; 8. Bearing assembly; 9. Locking bolt with hole; 10. Mounting crossbar. Detailed Implementation
[0023] The present invention will now be further described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that, without conflict, the various embodiments or technical features described below can be arbitrarily combined to form new embodiments.
[0024] Example: Please combine Figure 1-4 This embodiment of a transparent encoder for preventing cheating includes a cable 1, an external threaded connector 2 fixedly connected to the surface of the cable 1, a circuit board 4 inserted into the bottom of the cable 1, a transparent circuit cavity 3 inserted into the bottom of the circuit board 4, a transparent potting compound 6 fixedly connected to the inner surface of the transparent circuit cavity 3, a locking bolt with a hole 9 connected to the surface of the transparent circuit cavity, a mechanical cavity 5 threadedly engaged on the surface of the locking bolt 9, a magnet assembly 7 engaged inside the mechanical cavity 5, a bearing assembly 8 fixedly connected to the bottom of the magnet assembly 7, and mounting plates 10 fixedly connected to both the left and right ends of the mechanical cavity 5.
[0025] The circuit board cavity and the mechanical cavity are isolated separately. Because the mechanical cavity cannot be made transparent, cheating may occur in the mechanical cavity. If the circuit board cavity and the mechanical cavity are isolated, cheating methods in the mechanical cavity can be prevented from being transmitted to the circuit board cavity.
[0026] Cable 1 is located inside the transparent circuit cavity 3, and external thread connector 2 is located inside the transparent circuit cavity 3.
[0027] The shell is made of a single piece of transparent material, selected from tempered glass or transparent nylon. The shell has the following characteristics: overall light transmittance ≥85%, ensuring that the internal structure is clearly visible; the shell wall thickness is set at 5mm according to the material properties to ensure sufficient mechanical strength; an anti-disassembly structure is set between the shell cover and the base, which will leave irreversible damage marks once opened.
[0028] The mechanical cavity 5 is located at the bottom of the transparent circuit cavity 3, the magnet assembly 7 is located inside the mechanical cavity 5, and the bearing assembly 8 is located inside the mechanical cavity 5.
[0029] The first cavity, the circuit cavity, is used to house the circuit board 4 and electronic components. It is encapsulated with colorless and transparent epoxy resin material, with a minimum encapsulation layer thickness of 3mm. The second cavity, the mechanical cavity, is used to house the magnet assembly 7 and the bearing assembly 8. It is not encapsulated or only partially positioned and fixed to maintain the free movement of the mechanical parts.
[0030] The number of mounting plates 10 is set to several, and the several mounting plates 10 are symmetrically distributed on the left and right sides with the mechanical cavity 5 as the center.
[0031] The circuit board 4 and electronic components are encapsulated with colorless and transparent epoxy resin material, which has the following technical characteristics: colorless and transparent epoxy resin with a light transmittance of ≥90%; vacuum casting process to ensure no air bubbles remain; room temperature curing or heat curing at 60-80℃ for 2-4 hours; after encapsulation, the circuit board 4 is completely encapsulated, and any contact or alteration with the outside world will damage the encapsulation layer, and the damage marks are visible to the naked eye.
[0032] The top of the circuit board 4 contacts the bottom surface of the cable 1. The circuit board 4 is located on top of the magnet assembly 7 and on top of the bearing assembly 8.
[0033] Mechanical cavity 5 is located at the bottom of cable 1 and at the bottom of external thread connector 2.
[0034] The implementation principle of the anti-cheating transparent encoder in this application embodiment is as follows: the flow meter spindle drives the encoder shaft to rotate; the magnet assembly 7 on the shaft generates a changing magnetic field; the magnetic encoding assembly on the circuit board 4 detects the change in magnetic field and generates a pulse signal; the pulse signal is processed by the circuit and transmitted to the meter control motherboard; the supervisor can directly visually inspect whether the internal structure is complete, whether there are foreign objects, and whether the encapsulation layer is intact through the transparent shell and transparent encapsulation layer; any attempt to open the shell or damage the encapsulation layer will leave visible traces.
[0035] The above embodiments are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention. Any non-substantial changes and substitutions made by those skilled in the art based on the present invention shall fall within the scope of protection claimed by the present invention.
Claims
1. A transparent encoder for preventing cheating, characterized in that, The device includes a cable (1), with an external threaded connector (2) fixedly connected to the surface of the cable (1), a circuit board (4) inserted into the bottom of the cable (1), a transparent circuit cavity (3) inserted into the bottom of the circuit board (4), a transparent potting compound (6) fixedly connected to the inner surface of the transparent circuit cavity (3), a locking bolt with a hole (9) connected to the surface of the transparent circuit cavity, a mechanical cavity (5) threaded onto the surface of the locking bolt with a hole (9), a magnet assembly (7) snapped into the inside of the mechanical cavity (5), a bearing assembly (8) fixedly connected to the bottom of the magnet assembly (7), and mounting plates (10) fixedly connected to both the left and right ends of the mechanical cavity (5).
2. The anti-cheating transparent encoder as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The cable (1) is located inside the transparent circuit cavity (3), and the external thread connector (2) is located inside the transparent circuit cavity (3).
3. The anti-cheating transparent encoder as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The mechanical cavity (5) is located at the bottom of the surface potting compound (6), the magnet assembly (7) is located inside the mechanical cavity (5), and the bearing assembly (8) is located inside the mechanical cavity (5).
4. The anti-cheating transparent encoder as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The number of mounting plates (10) is set to several, and the several mounting plates (10) are symmetrically distributed on the left and right sides with the mechanical cavity (5) as the center.
5. The anti-cheating transparent encoder as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The top of the circuit board (4) is in contact with the bottom surface of the cable (1), the circuit board (4) is located on top of the magnet assembly (7), and the circuit board (4) is located on top of the bearing assembly (8).
6. The anti-cheating transparent encoder as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The mechanical cavity (5) is located at the bottom of the transparent circuit cavity (3). The mechanical cavity (5) and the transparent circuit cavity (3) are independent cavities. The mechanical cavity (5) and the transparent circuit cavity (3) are connected and fixed by the locking bolt with holes.