Installation structure of smart meter and smart meter

Abstract

The application discloses a mounting structure of a smart electric meter and the smart electric meter, and relates to the technical field of smart electric meter structures, which comprises a bottom shell of the smart electric meter, a mounting bracket which is arranged independently of the bottom shell, and a mounting plate which is matched with the mounting bracket; at least one mounting hole for fixing the smart electric meter to the mounting plate is arranged on the mounting bracket; the mounting bracket is detachably connected with the bottom shell through a sliding connection structure and has at least a disassembled state and a combined state; in the disassembled state, the mounting bracket and the bottom shell are separated from each other, and the mounting bracket can be independently fixed to the mounting plate; in the combined state, the bottom shell is combined with the mounting bracket which is fixed to the mounting plate through the sliding connection structure, so that the smart electric meter is mounted on the external mounting plate. The application eliminates the interference between mounting bolts and wires, simultaneously allows the length of a tail cover to be shortened, thereby providing a larger layout space for PCBA and components in the electric meter, and avoiding the cost increase caused by insufficient space.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of smart meter structure technology, and more specifically to a smart meter installation structure and the field of smart meter technology. Background Technology

[0002] With the popularization of smart grids and the standardization upgrade of household power distribution equipment, the market has put forward the demand for miniaturized and universal installation of three-phase energy meters. The width of three-phase meters is required to be reduced from the traditional 160~180mm to 135mm, which is the same as that of single-phase meters, so as to achieve unified installation of single-phase and three-phase meters, convenient replacement and efficient use of cabinet space.

[0003] According to the DIN43857 standard, the installation width of a single-phase meter must meet 105mm. However, due to the requirements of conductivity, insulation, heat dissipation and isolation, the minimum width of the terminal block for a 100A high-current three-phase meter must reach 110mm. With the M5 hexagonal mounting nuts, the width occupied by the mounting screws on both sides is not less than 18mm. In addition, the terminal cover has a protective wall thickness of 4~6mm and an oblique hole alignment structure. The total width required by the traditional fixed installation method exceeds the 135mm limit, which means that the lower mounting hole cannot be arranged on both sides of the terminal block and can only be placed directly below the terminal block outlet hole.

[0004] The existing three-phase electricity meter installation structure generally adopts a fixed design with the upper and lower mounting holes and the bottom shell integrally injection molded. This leads to multiple technical defects in narrow-body scenarios: First, the mounting bolts protrude from the wiring area, causing direct interference between the wires and bolts, which can easily cause insulation wear, short circuits, and arcing, posing serious electrical safety hazards. Furthermore, it hinders wire threading and tightening operations, resulting in low installation efficiency. Second, the position of the lower mounting hole determines the minimum length of the tail cover, which needs to be lengthened to avoid the bolts, significantly compressing the internal space of the base meter. This results in insufficient PCBA board area and limited display and button areas, forcing a single PCBA to be replaced by multi-board splicing, increasing hardware costs and assembly complexity. Third, the space for the embedded wall mounting plate and the meter's outgoing wires is narrow, making it inconvenient to fix the mounting holes and difficult to achieve rapid assembly and maintenance. Fourth, the exposed mounting bolts are susceptible to external impacts and corrosion, reducing structural reliability and service life.

[0005] Currently, there is no effective solution in the industry to simultaneously solve the problems of installation interference, excessively long tail cap, insufficient internal space, and ease of installation. Therefore, developing a movable installation structure that is compatible with narrow-body three-phase meters has become a technical challenge that needs to be overcome by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to solve the aforementioned technical problems by providing a smart meter mounting structure and a smart meter itself. This structure aims to eliminate interference between mounting bolts and wires, while allowing for a shorter tail cap length, thereby providing more layout space for the internal PCBA and components of the meter and avoiding increased costs due to insufficient space. Furthermore, this structure is detachable, allowing for the pre-installation of a lighter bracket before quickly mounting the meter.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention specifically adopts the following technical solution: One aspect of the present invention provides an installation structure for a smart meter, including a bottom shell of the smart meter, an installation bracket disposed independently of the bottom shell, and an installation plate that cooperates with the installation bracket; The mounting bracket is provided with at least one mounting hole for fixing the smart meter to the mounting plate; the mounting bracket is detachably connected to the bottom shell by a sliding connection structure and has at least one detached state and one assembled state; In the disassembled state, the mounting bracket is separated from the bottom shell, and the mounting bracket can be independently fixed to the mounting plate; In the combined state, the bottom shell is connected to the mounting bracket fixed on the mounting plate via a sliding connection structure, thereby installing the smart meter onto the external mounting plate.

[0008] In one embodiment, the lower surface of the bottom shell is provided with a concave composite mounting groove that is adapted to the shape of the mounting bracket and cooperates with the mounting bracket; the mounting bracket is movably connected to the composite mounting groove through a sliding structure, the composite mounting groove is provided with an elastic limiting structure for limiting the position of the mounting bracket, and the composite mounting groove is provided with an anti-detachment structure to prevent the mounting bracket from falling off.

[0009] In one embodiment, the sliding connection structure includes a slide rail or groove disposed inside the composite mounting groove, and a corresponding slide rail or groove disposed on the mounting bracket. The bottom shell and the mounting bracket achieve a sliding connection through the cooperation of the slide rail and the slide groove.

[0010] In one embodiment, the elastic limiting structure includes at least one set of mutually cooperating elastic buckles and buckle limiting structures. The elastic buckles are disposed on the mounting bracket or inside the composite mounting groove, and the buckle limiting structures are disposed inside the composite mounting groove or on the mounting bracket, for locking the bottom shell to the mounting bracket in the combined state. The elastic buckle is equipped with a press-to-unlock mechanism. Pressing it releases the lock, allowing the smart meter to slide upwards and detach from the mounting bracket.

[0011] Specifically, the mounting bracket is equipped with elastic buckles, and the interior of the composite mounting groove is equipped with a corresponding buckle limiting structure; in the combined state, the elastic buckles engage with the buckle limiting structure to restrict the bottom shell from moving up and down.

[0012] In one embodiment, the anti-detachment structure includes at least one set of mutually cooperating slots and insertion portions. The slots are disposed on the mounting bracket or inside the composite mounting groove, and the insertion portions are disposed inside the composite mounting groove or on the mounting bracket, for locking the bottom shell to the mounting bracket in the combined state.

[0013] Specifically, after installation, the main meter should be secured to prevent the elastic clips from deforming and falling off the movable bracket due to strong external pushing.

[0014] In one embodiment, the mounting bracket is generally T-shaped or flat.

[0015] In one embodiment, the mounting bracket is provided with three mounting holes for fixing the smart meter to the mounting plate. The mounting bracket and the mounting plate are locked together by bolts and nuts. The mounting bracket adopts a recessed structure, and the recessed area is used to accommodate the mounting bolts and nuts to prevent the bolts from protruding.

[0016] Specifically, the mounting bracket is equipped with three mounting holes, corresponding to the upper center mounting position and the lower left and right mounting positions, which improves the stability of the fixation.

[0017] In one embodiment, the tail cap length covers the terminal block outlet hole and the wall outlet of the mounting plate, with no bolt clearance section, and the tail cap length is shortened by 15% to 35% compared to the traditional structure.

[0018] In one embodiment, the mounting plate is provided with three strip-shaped mounting holes that mate with three mounting holes. One of the strip-shaped mounting holes is a vertical strip hole, and the other two strip-shaped mounting holes are symmetrically arranged as horizontal strip holes on both sides of the vertical strip hole.

[0019] In one embodiment, the slide rail or slide groove is vertically arranged.

[0020] Another aspect of the present invention provides a smart meter, including the above-described installation structure for a smart meter, wherein the smart meter is a narrow-body three-phase energy meter with a width of 135mm; it also includes a bottom shell, a terminal block disposed on the bottom shell, and a tail cover covering the terminal block.

[0021] The smart meter contains a complete PCBA main board, which is arranged along the length of the meter and its length is at least two-thirds of the total length of the smart meter.

[0022] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: 1. Completely eliminates the risk of wire interference and ensures electrical safety: By separating the lower mounting hole from the bottom shell and integrating it onto an independent movable mounting bracket, the bolts and nuts used for fixing are hidden under the back of the bottom shell when the meter is installed, and are no longer exposed in the wiring space of the terminal block. This fundamentally eliminates the possibility of physical contact, compression, or wear between the connecting wires and the mounting bolts, completely solving the long-standing short circuit and leakage risks in existing technologies, and significantly improving the electrical safety level and long-term operational reliability of the product.

[0023] 2. Effectively shortened tail cover length and optimized internal space: Since the lower mounting hole is no longer located directly below the terminal block outlet hole, the tail cover design no longer requires space to accommodate the lower mounting bolts or for operation. Therefore, the tail cover length is significantly reduced, only needing to meet the basic safety requirement of covering the wire outlet hole. This shortened tail cover, while maintaining the same overall length, directly and proportionally increases the internal volume of the base unit (body). This allows designers greater flexibility in the internal component layout.

[0024] 3. Maximizing internal space utilization reduces system costs, and the freed-up valuable internal space brings a chain of positive benefits: Supports large-board design: This makes it possible to use a single, large-area PCBA motherboard. Compared to multi-board solutions, single-board designs reduce the number of PCBs, connectors, wiring harnesses, and mounting components, thereby significantly reducing material costs (BOM cost) and assembly labor costs.

[0025] Improved system reliability: Reduced electrical connection points lower the risk of poor contact and signal interference, and improve the electromagnetic compatibility and long-term operational stability of the entire machine.

[0026] Optimize user experience: Ample layout space was provided for a larger LCD display, more comfortable buttons, and clearer LED indicators, improving the human-computer interaction experience.

[0027] 4. Significantly Improved Installation Ease and Adaptability: The innovative split-type, sliding installation structure allows installers to independently and easily fix the mounting bracket in narrow, inconveniently located distribution boxes. Then, the meter body, with its bottom shell and internal components, can be easily slid in from top to bottom and secured. This two-step installation process—"bracket first, meter second"—avoids the difficult operation of simultaneously lifting the heavy meter body and tightening the bottom bolts in confined spaces, significantly reducing labor intensity and improving installation efficiency and first-time installation success rate.

[0028] 5. Simple structure, easy to manufacture and promote: This invention is mainly achieved through ingenious design of the molds for the bottom shell and independent bracket, without adding additional complex transmission mechanisms or electronic components. The added independent mounting bracket can be made of stamped metal sheet or injection molded high-strength plastic, which is inexpensive, easy to mass-produce, and has good compatibility with existing electricity meter production and assembly lines, thus having extremely high market promotion value. Attached Figure Description

[0029] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of the present invention and should not be regarded as a limitation of the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0030] Figure 1 This is an assembly diagram of a smart meter and its mounting bracket.

[0031] Figure 2 These are exploded images of the smart meter, mounting bracket, and mounting plate during installation.

[0032] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 Front view.

[0033] Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of one surface of the mounting bracket.

[0034] Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of the other surface of the mounting bracket.

[0035] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the bottom casing of a smart meter without the mounting bracket installed.

[0036] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the mounting bracket for the bottom casing of a smart meter.

[0037] Figure 8 This is a structural diagram of the smart meter after the bottom casing and mounting bracket are in place.

[0038] Reference numerals: 1. Bottom shell; 2. Tail cover; 3. Mounting bracket; 4. Mounting plate; 5. Slot; 6. Elastic buckle; 7. Slide groove; 8. Mounting hole; 9. Buckle limiting structure; 10. Slide rail. Detailed Implementation

[0039] To make the technical problems, technical solutions, and technical effects of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. The components of the embodiments of the present invention described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0040] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the invention provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the invention.

[0041] It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the following figures indicate similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used only to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0042] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "inner", "outer", "upper", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship in which the product of the invention is usually placed when in use. They are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0043] Example 1 like Figures 1 to 8 As shown, this embodiment provides an installation structure for a smart meter, including a bottom shell 1 of the smart meter, an installation bracket 3 set independently of the bottom shell 1, and an installation plate 4 that cooperates with the installation bracket 3; The mounting bracket 3 is provided with at least one mounting hole 8 for fixing the smart meter to the mounting plate 4; the mounting bracket 3 is detachably connected to the bottom shell 1 by a sliding connection structure, and has at least one detached state and one assembled state; In the disassembled state, the mounting bracket 3 is separated from the bottom shell 1, and the mounting bracket 3 can be independently fixed to the mounting plate 4; In the combined state, the bottom shell 1 is connected to the mounting bracket 3 fixed on the mounting plate 4 via a sliding connection structure, thereby installing the smart meter on the external mounting plate 4.

[0044] Example 2 like Figures 1 to 8As shown, this embodiment provides an installation structure for a smart meter, including a bottom shell 1 of the smart meter, an installation bracket 3 set independently of the bottom shell 1, and an installation plate 4 that cooperates with the installation bracket 3; The mounting bracket 3 is provided with at least one mounting hole 8 for fixing the smart meter to the mounting plate 4; the mounting bracket 3 is detachably connected to the bottom shell 1 by a sliding connection structure, and has at least one detached state and one assembled state; In the disassembled state, the mounting bracket 3 is separated from the bottom shell 1, and the mounting bracket 3 can be independently fixed to the mounting plate 4; In the combined state, the bottom shell 1 is connected to the mounting bracket 3 fixed on the mounting plate 4 via a sliding connection structure, thereby installing the smart meter on the external mounting plate 4.

[0045] The lower surface of the bottom shell 1 is provided with a concave composite mounting groove that is adapted to the shape of the mounting bracket 3 and cooperates with the mounting bracket 3; the mounting bracket 3 is movably connected to the composite mounting groove through a sliding structure; the composite mounting groove is provided with an elastic limiting structure for limiting the position of the mounting bracket 3; and the composite mounting groove is provided with an anti-detachment structure to prevent the mounting bracket 3 from falling off.

[0046] Example 3 like Figures 1 to 8 As shown, this embodiment provides an installation structure for a smart meter, including a bottom shell 1 of the smart meter, an installation bracket 3 set independently of the bottom shell 1, and an installation plate 4 that cooperates with the installation bracket 3; The mounting bracket 3 is provided with at least one mounting hole 8 for fixing the smart meter to the mounting plate 4; the mounting bracket 3 is detachably connected to the bottom shell 1 by a sliding connection structure, and has at least one detached state and one assembled state; In the disassembled state, the mounting bracket 3 is separated from the bottom shell 1, and the mounting bracket 3 can be independently fixed to the mounting plate 4; In the combined state, the bottom shell 1 is connected to the mounting bracket 3 fixed on the mounting plate 4 via a sliding connection structure, thereby installing the smart meter on the external mounting plate 4.

[0047] The lower surface of the bottom shell 1 is provided with a concave composite mounting groove that is adapted to the shape of the mounting bracket 3 and cooperates with the mounting bracket 3; the mounting bracket 3 is movably connected to the composite mounting groove through a sliding structure; the composite mounting groove is provided with an elastic limiting structure for limiting the position of the mounting bracket 3; and the composite mounting groove is provided with an anti-detachment structure to prevent the mounting bracket 3 from falling off.

[0048] The sliding connection structure includes a slide rail 10 or a slide groove 7 disposed inside the composite mounting groove, and a corresponding slide groove 7 or slide rail 10 disposed on the mounting bracket 3. The bottom shell 1 and the mounting bracket 3 achieve a sliding connection through the cooperation of the slide rail 10 and the slide groove 7.

[0049] The elastic limiting structure includes at least one set of mutually cooperating elastic buckles 6 and buckle limiting structures 9. The elastic buckles 6 are disposed on the mounting bracket 3 or inside the composite mounting groove, and the buckle limiting structures 9 are disposed inside the composite mounting groove or on the mounting bracket 3, for locking the bottom shell 1 to the mounting bracket 3 in the combined state. The elastic buckle 6 is equipped with a press-to-unlock part. After pressing, the lock is released, and the smart meter can slide upwards to detach from the mounting bracket 3.

[0050] Specifically, the mounting bracket 3 is equipped with elastic buckles 6, and the composite mounting groove is equipped with corresponding buckle limiting structures 9; in the combined state, the elastic buckles 6 are engaged with the buckle limiting structures 9 to restrict the bottom shell 1 from moving up and down.

[0051] The anti-detachment structure includes at least one set of mutually cooperating slots 5 and insertion parts. The slots 5 are disposed on the mounting bracket 3 or inside the composite mounting groove, and the insertion parts are disposed inside the composite mounting groove or on the mounting bracket 3, for locking the bottom shell 1 to the mounting bracket 3 in the combined state.

[0052] Specifically, after installation, the main meter should be secured to prevent the elastic clip 6 from deforming and falling off the movable bracket due to strong external pushing.

[0053] Example 4 This embodiment is a further optimization based on embodiment 3, specifically: Mounting bracket 3 has an overall "T" shaped or flat structure.

[0054] The mounting bracket 3 has three mounting holes 8 for fixing the smart meter to the mounting plate 4. The mounting bracket 3 and the mounting plate 4 are locked together by bolts and nuts. The mounting bracket 3 adopts a recessed structure, and the recessed area is used to accommodate the mounting bolts and nuts to prevent the bolts from protruding.

[0055] Specifically, the mounting bracket 3 is equipped with three mounting holes 8, corresponding to the upper center mounting position and the lower left and right mounting positions, respectively, to improve the stability of the fixation.

[0056] Example 5 This embodiment is a further optimization based on embodiment 4, specifically: The length of the tail cover 2 covers the terminal block outlet hole and the wall outlet of the mounting plate 4, with no bolt avoidance section. The length of the tail cover 2 is 15% to 35% shorter than that of the traditional structure.

[0057] The mounting plate 4 is provided with three strip-shaped mounting holes 8 that mate with three mounting holes 8. One of the strip-shaped mounting holes 8 is a vertical strip hole, and the other two strip-shaped mounting holes 8 are symmetrically arranged as horizontal strip holes on both sides of the vertical strip hole.

[0058] Both slide rail 10 and slide groove 7 are set vertically.

[0059] Specifically, one structural form of the mounting plate in this embodiment can also be a honeycomb-shaped porous mounting plate, or a horizontal groove multi-position mounting plate.

[0060] Example 6 This embodiment provides a smart meter, including the above-mentioned installation structure of a smart meter. The smart meter is a narrow-body three-phase energy meter with a width of 135mm. It also includes a bottom shell 1, a terminal block disposed on the bottom shell 1, and a tail cover 2 covering the terminal block.

[0061] Example 7 This embodiment is basically the same as embodiment 6, except that the material of the mounting bracket 3 and the form of the sliding connection structure are different.

[0062] To accommodate applications requiring extremely low cost or ultra-thin meters, mounting bracket 3 can be integrally injection molded from high-strength flame-retardant PC plastic (such as PC + 10% glass fiber reinforcement). Its sliding groove is designed as a T-slot, and correspondingly, the sliding rail on the back of the bottom shell is designed as a T-rail.

[0063] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the elastic buckle is not located on the bottom shell 1, but rather serves as a cantilever beam structure of the mounting bracket 3, with a protrusion at its end. In the assembled state, when the meter body slides into place, the elastic buckle protrusion engages with a recess on the back of the bottom shell 1, thus achieving a reliable locking function. When the user needs to disassemble the meter, a screwdriver can be inserted through a dedicated hole on the side of the bottom shell to press down the elastic buckle and disengage it, allowing the meter body to be slid upwards and removed.

[0064] This embodiment also achieves the core inventive objectives of eliminating interference, shortening the tail cover, and optimizing the internal space, while providing users with a variety of material options.

Claims

1. An installation structure for a smart meter, characterized in that, It includes a base shell of a smart meter, a mounting bracket set independently of the base shell, and a mounting plate that cooperates with the mounting bracket; The mounting bracket is provided with at least one mounting hole for fixing the smart meter to the mounting plate; the mounting bracket is detachably connected to the bottom shell through a sliding connection structure, and has at least one detached state and one assembled state; In the disassembled state, the mounting bracket is separated from the bottom shell, and the mounting bracket can be independently fixed to the mounting plate; In the combined state, the bottom shell is connected to the mounting bracket fixed on the mounting plate via the sliding connection structure, thereby mounting the smart meter onto the external mounting plate.

2. The installation structure of a smart meter according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lower surface of the bottom shell is provided with a concave composite mounting groove that is adapted to the shape of the mounting bracket and cooperates with the mounting bracket; the mounting bracket is movably connected to the composite mounting groove through a sliding structure; the composite mounting groove is provided with an elastic limiting structure for limiting the position of the mounting bracket; and the composite mounting groove is provided with an anti-detachment structure to prevent the mounting bracket from falling off.

3. The installation structure of a smart meter according to claim 2, characterized in that, The sliding connection structure includes a slide rail or slide groove disposed inside the composite mounting groove, and a corresponding slide groove or slide rail disposed on the mounting bracket. The bottom shell and the mounting bracket are slidably connected through the cooperation of the slide rail and the slide groove.

4. The installation structure of a smart meter according to claim 2, characterized in that, The elastic limiting structure includes at least one set of mutually cooperating elastic buckles and buckle limiting structures. The elastic buckles are disposed on the mounting bracket or inside the composite mounting groove, and the buckle limiting structures are disposed inside the composite mounting groove or on the mounting bracket, for locking the bottom shell to the mounting bracket in the combined state. The elastic buckle is provided with a press-to-unlock part, which releases the lock after pressing.

5. The installation structure of a smart meter according to claim 2, characterized in that, The anti-detachment structure includes at least one set of mutually cooperating slots and insertion portions. The slots are disposed on the mounting bracket or inside the composite mounting groove, and the insertion portions are disposed inside the composite mounting groove or on the mounting bracket, for locking the bottom shell to the mounting bracket in the combined state.

6. The installation structure of a smart meter according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mounting bracket is generally T-shaped or flat; the mounting bracket is provided with three mounting holes for fixing the smart meter to the mounting plate; the mounting bracket and the mounting plate are locked together by bolts and nuts; the mounting bracket adopts a recessed structure, and the recessed area is used to accommodate the mounting bolts and nuts to prevent the bolts from protruding.

7. The installation structure of a smart meter according to claim 6, characterized in that, The mounting plate is provided with three strip-shaped mounting holes that mate with the three mounting holes. One of the strip-shaped mounting holes is a vertical strip hole, and the other two strip-shaped mounting holes are symmetrically arranged as horizontal strip holes on both sides of the vertical strip hole.

8. The installation structure of a smart meter according to claim 3, characterized in that, Both the slide rail and the slide groove are vertically arranged.

9. A smart meter, characterized in that, The invention includes an installation structure for a smart meter as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the smart meter is a narrow-body three-phase energy meter with a width of 135mm; it also includes a bottom shell, a terminal block disposed on the bottom shell, and a tail cover covering the terminal block.

10. A smart meter according to claim 9, characterized in that, The length of the tail cap covers the terminal block outlet hole and the wall outlet of the mounting plate.

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