A function-extended modular NB-IoT water meter structure

Abstract

The application discloses a function-extended modularized NB-IoT water meter structure, which comprises a water meter body, a rotating mechanism is installed at the bottom of the water meter body, the rotating mechanism comprises a sensor and a rotating disc for driving the sensor to rotate, a fixed shaft is coaxially fixed on the rotating disc, a fixed ring is fixedly installed at the bottom of the water meter body, the rotating disc is rotatably installed in the fixed ring, two symmetrical limiting frames are arranged on the surface of the rotating disc, a positioning block is slidably connected to each limiting frame, two tooth rings with opposite teeth are installed on the inner side of the fixed ring in parallel, and the positioning blocks are in one-to-one correspondence with the tooth rings and are engaged with the tooth rings. In the application, the direction of the sensor can be adjusted according to actual needs, a rotating ring for direct transmission is arranged outside the water meter body, the rotating ring controls the rotation of the rotating disc, and the rotating disc and the fixed ring are directly fixed through bidirectional ratchet teeth, so that the rotating disc cannot rotate freely in the case of being separated from the rotating ring, and the direction of the sensor is better controlled.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of water meter technology, specifically to a modular NB-IoT water meter structure with expanded functionality. Background Technology

[0002] NB-IoT water meters support efficient connection for devices with long standby times and high network connectivity requirements. Smart water meters are a new type of water meter that uses modern microelectronics technology, modern sensing technology, and smart IC card technology to measure water consumption and transmit water data for settlement transactions. Compared with traditional water meters, which generally only have the functions of flow collection and mechanical pointer display of water consumption, this is a great improvement.

[0003] However, existing NB-IoT water meters cannot directly install sensors for water pressure, temperature, and water quality detection. These components are directly integrated into the water meter during the manufacturing process, which prevents users from modularly equipping the sensor components according to their needs. To address this issue, we propose a modular NB-IoT water meter structure with expanded functionality. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a modular NB-IoT water meter structure with expanded functionality to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a modular NB-IoT water meter structure with extended functions, including a water meter body and water pipe interfaces disposed on both sides of the water meter body, a display panel disposed on the top of the water meter body, and a rotating mechanism installed at the bottom of the water meter body. The rotating mechanism includes a sensor disposed inside the water meter body and a turntable that drives the sensor to rotate. A fixed shaft is coaxially fixedly passed through the turntable, and the inner end of the fixed shaft extends into the water meter body and is fixedly connected to the sensor.

[0006] A fixed ring is fixedly installed at the bottom of the water meter body. The turntable is rotatably installed inside the fixed ring. The fixed ring, the turntable and the fixed shaft are coaxial. Two symmetrically distributed limit frames are provided on the surface of the turntable. A positioning block is slidably engaged in each of the limit frames. Two toothed rings with opposite tooth directions are installed side by side on the inner side of the fixed ring. The positioning block and the toothed ring mesh one-to-one.

[0007] A fixed plate is rotatably mounted on the bottom of the fixed ring via a bearing. A rotating ring is fixedly connected to the bottom of the fixed plate. Two symmetrically distributed actuating rods are provided on the top of the fixed plate. The actuating rods are slidably engaged with the positioning blocks in a corresponding manner. When the rotating ring rotates, the actuating rods press against the positioning blocks, and the positioning blocks disengage from the toothed ring.

[0008] The front end of the water meter body has an expansion port, and a positioning plate is movably engaged in the expansion port through a snap-fit ​​mechanism. A temperature sensor extending into the water meter body is fixedly installed inside the positioning plate.

[0009] Preferably, the fixing ring is sealed and installed at the bottom of the water meter body. The fixing ring has a closed surface on one side and an open surface on the other side. A through hole is provided at the center of the closed surface of the fixing ring. The through hole is interference-fitted with the fixing shaft. The turntable rotates parallel to the closed surface of the fixing ring.

[0010] Preferably, the toothed rings are a first toothed ring and a second toothed ring, and the first toothed ring and the second toothed ring have the same tooth height, tooth pitch and number of teeth, and opposite tooth directions.

[0011] Preferably, the limiting frame is installed on the side of the turntable away from the water meter body, and is slidably connected to the limiting frame on both sides of the positioning block by dovetail sliders;

[0012] The positioning block is divided into a first positioning block and a second positioning block. The outer end of the first positioning block is fixedly provided with a first locking tooth, which meshes with a first toothed ring. At the same time, the outer end of the second positioning block is fixedly provided with a second locking tooth, which meshes with a second toothed ring.

[0013] Preferably, each positioning block has a fixing hole at its inner end, and a spring is fixedly connected to the fixing hole. The other end of the spring is fixedly connected to the side of the fixing shaft. Under the action of the spring, the positioning block slides outward and remains engaged with the toothed ring.

[0014] Preferably, the bottom surface of the positioning block is provided with an inclined groove, and the inclined grooves on the two positioning blocks are in opposite directions. The actuating rods on the top of the fixed plate are respectively engaged in the inclined grooves. The actuating rods press the inclined surface of the inclined groove of the positioning block, and the positioning block moves inward to disengage from the toothed ring.

[0015] Preferably, the locking mechanism includes a screw fixedly connected to the positioning plate, the screw extending outward, a butterfly spring fixedly installed at the inner end of the screw, the outer side of the butterfly spring movably contacting a top plate, the top plate movably sleeved on the screw, and a locking block threaded onto the screw.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0017] In this invention, the sensor's orientation can be adjusted as needed based on practical requirements. This is achieved by installing a direct-drive rotating ring outside the water meter body. This ring controls the rotation of the turntable, which is directly fixed to the fixed ring via bidirectional ratchet teeth, preventing it from rotating freely when detached from the rotating ring. This allows for better control of the sensor's orientation.

[0018] In this invention, pointer marks corresponding to the sensors are set on the rotating ring, and corresponding marks are set on the bottom of the water meter body, so that users can know the position and direction of the sensors inside the water meter body when rotating it. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the rotating mechanism in this invention;

[0021] Figure 3 This is an exploded view of the rotating mechanism in this invention;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the turntable and the fixing ring in this invention;

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the positioning block in this invention;

[0024] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the locking mechanism in this invention;

[0025] Figure 7 This is an exploded view of the locking mechanism in this invention;

[0026] In the diagram: 1. Water meter body; 101. Water pipe interface; 102. Display panel; 103. Expansion port;

[0027] 2. Rotating mechanism; 21. Fixed ring; 2101. First toothed ring; 2102. Second toothed ring; 22. Rotating ring; 2201. Fixed disk; 2202. Bearing; 2203. Actuating lever; 23. Turntable; 2301. Fixed shaft; 2302. Limiting frame; 2303. Spring; 24. Sensor; 25. Positioning block; 25a. Inclined groove; 251. First positioning block; 251a. First toothed ring; 252. Second positioning block; 252a. Second toothed ring;

[0028] 3. Engaging mechanism; 31. Positioning plate; 32. Butterfly spring; 33. Screw; 34. Locking block; 35. Top plate; 36. Temperature sensor. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The technical solutions of the present invention will now be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0030] Please see Figure 1-7This invention provides a technical solution: a modular NB-IoT water meter structure with extended functions, including a water meter body 1 and water pipe interfaces 101 disposed on both sides of the water meter body 1. A display panel 102 is disposed on the top of the water meter body 1, and a rotating mechanism 2 is installed at the bottom of the water meter body 1. The rotating mechanism 2 includes a sensor 24 disposed inside the water meter body 1 and a turntable 23 that drives the sensor 24 to rotate. In this invention, the sensor is a conventional water quality detector, water pressure sensor, etc. in the art, which needs to be placed inside the water meter for real-time detection.

[0031] A fixed shaft 2301 is coaxially fixed through the turntable 23. The inner end of the fixed shaft 2301 extends into the water meter body 1 and is fixedly connected to the sensor 24. A fixed ring 21 is fixedly installed at the bottom of the water meter body 1. The turntable 23 is rotatably installed inside the fixed ring 21. The fixed ring 21, the turntable 23 and the fixed shaft 2301 are coaxial. Two symmetrically distributed limit frames 2302 are provided on the surface of the turntable 23. A positioning block 25 is slidably engaged in each limit frame 2302. Two toothed rings with opposite tooth directions are installed side by side on the inner side of the fixed ring 21. The positioning blocks 25 and the toothed rings mesh one-to-one.

[0032] The fixing ring 21 is sealed and installed at the bottom of the water meter body 1. The fixing ring 21 has a closed surface on one side and an open surface on the other side. A through hole is provided at the center of the closed surface of the fixing ring 21. The through hole is interference-fitted with the fixing shaft 2301. The turntable 23 rotates parallel to the closed surface of the fixing ring 21.

[0033] Furthermore, the toothed rings are a first toothed ring 2101 and a second toothed ring 2102. The tooth height, tooth pitch and number of teeth of the first toothed ring 2101 and the second toothed ring 2102 are the same, and the tooth directions are opposite.

[0034] like Figure 3-5 As shown, the limiting frame 2302 is installed on the turntable 23 on the side away from the water meter body 1, and is slidably connected to the limiting frame 2302 on both sides of the positioning block 25 by dovetail sliders.

[0035] A fixed plate 2201 is rotatably mounted on the bottom of the fixed ring 21 via a bearing 2202. A rotating ring 22 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the fixed plate 2201. Two symmetrically distributed actuating rods 2203 are provided on the top of the fixed plate 2201. The actuating rods 2203 are slidably engaged with the positioning block 25. When the rotating ring 22 rotates, the actuating rods 2203 press against the positioning block 25, and the positioning block 25 disengages from the toothed ring.

[0036] The positioning block 25 is divided into a first positioning block 251 and a second positioning block 252. The outer end of the first positioning block 251 is fixedly provided with a first locking tooth 251a, which meshes with the first toothed ring 2101. At the same time, the outer end of the second positioning block 252 is fixedly provided with a second locking tooth 252a, which meshes with the second toothed ring 2102.

[0037] by Figure 4 Taking the center direction as an example, when the first locking tooth 251a is engaged with the first toothed ring 2101, the turntable 23 cannot rotate clockwise; when the second locking tooth 252a is engaged with the second toothed ring 2102, the turntable 23 cannot rotate counterclockwise. Furthermore, the engagement of the first locking tooth 251a with the first toothed ring 2101 and the engagement of the second locking tooth 252a with the second toothed ring 2102 occur simultaneously. At this time, the turntable 23 cannot rotate clockwise or counterclockwise within the fixed ring 21, remaining in a fixed state. This ensures that the sensor 24, located at the inner end of the fixed shaft 2301, will not rotate arbitrarily and change direction.

[0038] Furthermore, each of the positioning blocks 25 has a fixing hole at its inner end, and a spring 2303 is fixedly connected in the fixing hole. The other end of the spring 2303 is fixedly connected to the side of the fixing shaft 2301. Under the action of the spring 2303, the positioning block 25 slides outward and remains engaged with the toothed ring.

[0039] like Figure 5 As shown, the bottom surface of the positioning block 25 is provided with a sloping groove 25a, and the sloping grooves 25a on the two positioning blocks 25 are in opposite directions. The actuating rod 2203 on the top of the fixed plate 2201 is respectively engaged in the sloping groove 25a. The actuating rod 2203 presses the inclined surface of the sloping groove 25a of the positioning block 25, and the positioning block 25 moves inward to disengage from the toothed ring.

[0040] like Figure 3 and 4 Taking the direction as an example, when the rotating ring 22 is rotated clockwise, the actuating rod 2203 that contacts the first positioning block 251 presses the inclined groove 25a on the first positioning block 251, causing the first locking tooth 251a on the first positioning block 251 to disengage from the first toothed ring 2101, thereby driving the turntable 23 to rotate clockwise, further controlling the direction of the sensor 24 inside the water meter body 1, and ensuring that it can accurately detect different positions inside the water meter.

[0041] Similarly, when the rotating ring 22 is rotated counterclockwise, the actuating rod 2203, which is in contact with the second positioning block 252, presses the inclined groove 25a on the second positioning block 252, causing the second locking tooth 252a on the second positioning block 252 to disengage from the second toothed ring 2102, thereby driving the turntable 23 to rotate counterclockwise.

[0042] Normally, the sensor 24 is located inside the water meter body 1. Due to interference during installation or water flow impact, the sensor itself is prone to loosening and shifting direction. In this invention, a pointer mark corresponding to the sensor is set on the rotating ring 22, and a corresponding mark is set on the bottom of the water meter body 1, so that the user can easily know the position and orientation of the sensor 24 inside the water meter body 1 when rotating it.

[0043] Furthermore, depending on practical needs, the orientation of the sensor may need to be adjusted when necessary. Replacing the sensor position by shutting off the water valve would be overly complicated. In this invention, a direct-drive rotating ring 22 is installed outside the water meter body 1. This rotating ring 22 controls the rotation of the turntable 23, which is directly fixed to the fixed ring 21 by bidirectional ratchet teeth, preventing it from rotating freely when detached from the rotating ring 22. Therefore, the orientation of the sensor 24 can be better controlled.

[0044] like Figure 1 As shown, the front end of the water meter body 1 has an expansion port 103. The positioning plate 31 is movably engaged in the expansion port 103 through the snap-in mechanism 3. A temperature sensor 36 extending into the water meter body 1 is fixedly installed inside the positioning plate 31.

[0045] In one embodiment of the present invention, the locking mechanism 3 includes a screw 33 fixedly connected to the positioning disk 31. The screw 33 extends outward, and a butterfly spring 32 is fixedly installed at the inner end of the screw 33. The outer side of the butterfly spring 32 movably contacts a top plate 35. The top plate 35 is movably sleeved on the screw 33, and a locking block 34 is threaded onto the screw 33.

[0046] An expansion port 103 has a through-hole for the temperature sensor 36 to pass through. The positioning plate 31 covers the expansion port 103 and seals the expansion port 103 and the through-hole. When the locking block 34 is tightened, the disc spring 32 expands outward and is fixed to the inner wall of the expansion port 103, thus fixing the entire locking mechanism 3.

[0047] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A function-extended modular NB-IoT water meter structure, comprising a water meter body and a water pipe interface arranged on both sides of the water meter body, and a display panel arranged on the top of the water meter body, characterized in that: The water meter body bottom is provided with a rotating mechanism, which comprises a sensor arranged in the water meter body and a rotating disc for driving the sensor to rotate, and a fixed shaft is coaxially fixed through the rotating disc, the inner end of the fixed shaft extends into the water meter body and is fixedly connected with the sensor; A fixed ring is fixedly arranged at the bottom of the water meter body, the rotating disc is rotatably arranged in the fixed ring, and the fixed ring, the rotating disc and the fixed shaft are coaxial, two limiting frames symmetrically arranged are arranged on the surface of the rotating disc, a positioning block is slidably connected in each limiting frame, two tooth rings with opposite tooth directions are arranged on the inner side of the fixed ring in parallel, and the positioning blocks are in one-to-one correspondence with the tooth rings. A fixed disc is rotatably arranged at the bottom of the fixed ring through a bearing, a rotating ring is fixedly connected to the bottom of the fixed disc, two push rods symmetrically arranged are arranged on the top of the fixed disc, the push rods are slidably connected to the positioning blocks in one-to-one correspondence, and when the rotating ring rotates, the push rods press the positioning blocks, and the positioning blocks are disengaged from the tooth rings. An expansion opening is formed in the front end surface of the water meter body, a positioning disc is movably connected in the expansion opening through a clamping mechanism, and a temperature sensor extending into the water meter body is fixedly arranged at the inner end of the positioning disc.

2. The functionally extended modular structure of NB-IoT water meter as claimed in claim 1, wherein: The fixed ring is sealingly arranged at the bottom of the water meter body, the fixed ring has a closed surface on one side and an opening on the other side, a through hole is formed at the center of the closed surface of the fixed ring, the through hole is in interference fit with the fixed shaft, and the rotating disc rotates parallel to the closed surface of the fixed ring.

3. The functionally extended modular structure of NB-IoT water meter as claimed in claim 2, wherein: The tooth rings are a first tooth ring and a second tooth ring, the tooth height, tooth pitch and tooth number of the first tooth ring and the second tooth ring are consistent, and the tooth directions are opposite.

4. The functionally extended modular structure of NB-IoT water meter as claimed in claim 3, wherein: The limiting frames are arranged on the side of the rotating disc away from the water meter body, and the positioning blocks are slidably connected with the limiting frames through dovetail sliding blocks on both sides of the positioning blocks. The positioning blocks are divided into a first positioning block and a second positioning block, a first clamping tooth is fixedly arranged at the outer end of the first positioning block, the first clamping tooth is engaged with the first tooth ring, a second clamping tooth is fixedly arranged at the outer end of the second positioning block, and the second clamping tooth is engaged with the second tooth ring.

5. The functionally extended modular structure of NB-IoT water meter as claimed in claim 4, wherein: Fixed holes are formed at the inner ends of the positioning blocks, springs are fixedly connected in the fixed holes, and the other ends of the springs are fixedly connected with the side surface of the fixed shaft.

6. The functionally extended modular structure of NB-IoT water meter as claimed in claim 5, wherein: Inclined grooves are formed in the bottom surfaces of the positioning blocks, the directions of the inclined grooves on the two positioning blocks are opposite, the push rods on the top of the fixed disc are clamped in the inclined grooves respectively, the push rods press the inclined surfaces of the inclined grooves of the positioning blocks, and the positioning blocks move inward to disengage from the tooth rings.

7. The functionally extended modular structure of NB-IoT water meter as claimed in claim 1, wherein: The clamping mechanism comprises a screw rod fixedly connected with the positioning disc, the screw rod extends outward, a butterfly spring is fixedly arranged at the inner end of the screw rod, the outer side surface of the butterfly spring movably contacts a top disc, the top disc is movably sleeved on the screw rod, and a locking block is threadedly sleeved on the screw rod.

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