Intelligent valve control water meter

Abstract

This invention relates to an intelligent valve-controlled water meter, comprising a mechanical module assembly and an electronic module assembly. The mechanical module assembly includes a base plate with guide grooves on it. A movable pin is mounted on the guide grooves, with one end of the movable pin connected to a spring and the other end connected to a movable push rod of a hydraulic actuator. Both the spring and the hydraulic actuator are mounted on the base plate. The bottom of the electronic module assembly has a corresponding slot for the movable pin. The base plate has four guide rails, and the electronic module assembly has four sliding grooves that correspond to the guide rails. The mechanical module assembly also includes a ball valve assembly and a reduction gearbox. The hydraulic actuator is connected to the ball valve assembly via a connecting joint, and the ball valve assembly is connected to the reduction gearbox. A magnet is installed inside the reduction gearbox. A set of sensors corresponding to the magnet is installed inside the electronic module assembly. A pressure relief button is installed at the tail end of the hydraulic actuator. Compared with the prior art, this invention has the advantages of convenient and quick on-site disassembly and maintenance, and anti-tampering function.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of smart water meter technology, and in particular to a smart valve-controlled water meter. Background Technology

[0002] Smart valve-controlled water meters often employ a modular design, consisting of electronic and mechanical modules. This allows for quick fault identification during on-site maintenance and typically enables maintenance without shutting off the water supply, minimizing inconvenience to users. In contrast, traditional smart valve-controlled water meters often use screws to secure their electronic and mechanical modules. However, water meters are usually installed in confined spaces, and a significant proportion are installed in pipe shafts. In such limited spaces, traditional screw-mounted installations are extremely difficult, time-consuming, and labor-intensive, hindering rapid on-site maintenance. Furthermore, prolonged exposure to the harsh high-temperature and high-humidity environment within pipe shafts further increases the workload for operators. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the defects of the prior art and provide an intelligent valve-controlled water meter.

[0004] The objective of this invention can be achieved through the following technical solutions: A smart valve-controlled water meter includes a mechanical module assembly and an electronic module assembly. The mechanical module assembly includes a base plate with a guide groove on it. A movable pin that can move back and forth is installed on the guide groove. One end of the movable pin is connected to a spring, and the other end is connected to a movable push rod of a hydraulic actuator. Both the spring and the hydraulic actuator are mounted on the base plate. The bottom of the electronic module assembly has a corresponding slot for the movable pin. The base plate has four guide rails. The electronic module assembly has four sliding grooves that correspond to the guide rails. The mechanical module assembly also includes a ball valve assembly and a reduction gearbox. The ball valve assembly is located below the base plate, and the reduction gearbox is embedded in the base plate. The hydraulic actuator is connected to the ball valve assembly via a connecting joint. The ball valve assembly is connected to the reduction gearbox. A magnet is installed inside the reduction gearbox. A set of sensors corresponding to the magnet is installed inside the electronic module assembly. A pressure relief button is installed at the tail end of the hydraulic actuator.

[0005] Furthermore, the pressure relief button is equipped with a pressure relief lever; the pressure relief lever is connected to a hydraulic actuator.

[0006] Furthermore, the electronic module assembly includes a housing, an electronic module, and a sealing cover; the electronic module is sealed within the housing by super-welding the sealing cover; a battery compartment is provided at the bottom of the housing, and a battery is provided inside the battery compartment, which is sealed by a threaded sealing cover; a motor bracket assembly is also provided at the bottom of the housing; the slots and slides are both provided on the housing.

[0007] Furthermore, the motor support assembly includes a support, a micro motor, and a motor cover; the micro motor is mounted inside the support through the motor cover; the support is provided with three downward-facing sensor holders; there are three sensors, which are respectively set at the bottom of the three sensor holders, corresponding to the three states of valve open, valve closed, and hydraulic actuator connected.

[0008] Furthermore, the ball valve assembly includes a ball valve housing disposed below the base plate; a ball valve cavity is connected to the side of the ball valve housing, and a three-way ball valve is disposed inside the ball valve cavity; a connecting joint is connected to the top of the ball valve cavity, and a ball valve stem is disposed on the side, with a threaded joint connected to the front; one end of the ball valve stem is connected to the three-way ball valve, and the other end is connected to the reduction gearbox.

[0009] Furthermore, the reduction gearbox is equipped with a gear set; the reduction gearbox is also equipped with a gearbox valve stem; one end of the gearbox valve stem passes through a side wall of the reduction gearbox and is connected to the last gear of the gear set, and the other end is connected to the ball valve stem; the magnet is installed on the last gear of the gear set.

[0010] Furthermore, PTFE sealing rings are provided between the ball valve housing and the ball valve cavity, between the connecting joint and the ball valve cavity, and between the threaded joint and the ball valve cavity; an O-ring is also provided between the connecting joint and the ball valve cavity; and a stem sealing ring is provided between the ball valve stem and the ball valve cavity.

[0011] Furthermore, a water meter mechanism is installed inside the ball valve housing; the top of the water meter mechanism is fitted inside the base plate.

[0012] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages: (1) By setting up separate mechanical module components and electronic module components, the hydraulic actuator is moved by controlling the opening and closing of the three-way ball valve, thereby controlling the locking and disengagement of the movable pin and the slot, realizing the locking and disengagement of the mechanical module components and the electronic module components, making the on-site disassembly and maintenance of the electronic module components simple, fast and convenient.

[0013] (2) The present invention can implement electronic module disassembly monitoring through the corresponding setting of sensors and magnets. When the electronic module component is separated from the mechanical module component, the sensor will disconnect from the magnet sensing, and the electronic module component will send disassembly information to the background management system. It has anti-disassembly function and can effectively prevent unauthorized personnel from illegally disassembling the water meter. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the water meter provided by the present invention; Figure 2 This is an exploded structural diagram of the mechanical module components provided by the present invention; Figure 3 This is an exploded view of the electronic module component provided by the present invention; Figure 4 This is an exploded structural diagram of the motor bracket assembly provided by the present invention; Figure 5 This is an exploded view of the ball valve assembly provided by the present invention; Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the guide rail and slide groove structure provided by the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the reduction gearbox provided by the present invention; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the side structure of the reduction gearbox provided by the present invention; Figure 9 A schematic cross-sectional view of the connection between the gearbox valve stem and the ball valve stem provided by the present invention; Figure 10 A schematic cross-sectional view of the water meter when the hydraulic actuator provided by the present invention is in the off state; Figure 11 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a water meter when the hydraulic actuator provided by the present invention is in a connected state.

[0015] The labels in the diagram indicate: 1. Mechanical module assembly; 2. Electronic module assembly; 3. Base plate; 4. Guide groove; 5. Movable pin; 6. Spring; 7. Hydraulic actuator; 8. Slot; 9. Guide rail; 10. Slide groove; 11. Ball valve assembly; 12. Reduction gearbox; 13. Magnet; 14. Sensor; 15. Pressure relief button; 16. Pressure relief lever; 17. Cover; 18. Electronic module; 19. Battery compartment; 20. Threaded sealing cover; 21. Motor bracket assembly; 22. Bracket; 23. Micro motor; 24. Motor cover; 25. Sensor bracket; 26. Ball valve housing; 27. Ball valve cavity; 28. Three-way ball valve; 29. ​​Ball valve stem; 30. Threaded connector; 31. Gear set; 32. Gearbox stem; 33. PTFE sealing ring; 34. O-ring; 35. Valve stem sealing ring; 36. Water meter mechanism; 37. Connecting connector; 38. Sealing top cover. Detailed Implementation

[0016] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments 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.

[0017] 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. Example

[0018] like Figures 1-11As shown, an intelligent valve-controlled water meter includes a mechanical module assembly 1 and an electronic module assembly 2. The mechanical module assembly 1 includes a base plate 3 with four guide rails 9. The electronic module assembly 2 has four sliding grooves 10 that correspond to and cooperate with the guide rails 9. The electronic module assembly 2 is assembled onto the mechanical module assembly 1 from top to bottom through the sliding grooves 10 and the guide rails 9. The base plate 3 has a guide groove 4 with a movable pin 5 that can move back and forth. One end of the movable pin 5 is connected to a spring 6, and the other end is connected to a movable push rod of a hydraulic actuator 7. The spring 6 and the hydraulic actuator... All 7 are set on the base plate 3; the bottom end of the electronic module component 2 is provided with a corresponding slot 8 for the movable pin 5. When the electronic module component 2 is assembled onto the mechanical module component 1, and the water meter is installed on the pipeline under normal water flow conditions, the hydraulic actuator 7 and the inside of the water meter are in a closed state, and there is no water pressure inside the hydraulic actuator 7. Under the action of the spring 6, the movable pin 5 is inserted into the slot 8, locking the electronic module component 1; the mechanical module component 1 also includes a ball valve component 11 and a reduction gearbox 12. The ball valve component 11 is set below the base plate 3, and the reduction gearbox 12 is embedded in the base plate 3; the hydraulic actuator 7 is connected to a series of Connector 37 connects to ball valve assembly 11; ball valve assembly 11 is connected to reduction gearbox 12; a magnet 13 is installed inside reduction gearbox 12; a set of sensors 14 corresponding to magnet 13 is installed inside electronic module assembly 2; electronic module assembly 2 includes cover 17, electronic module 18 and sealing cover 38; electronic module 18 is sealed inside cover 17 by super-welding through sealing cover 38; battery compartment 19 is provided at the bottom of cover 17, battery compartment 19 is provided inside battery and sealed by threaded sealing cover 20; motor bracket assembly 21 is also provided at the bottom of cover 17. The slot 8 and slide 10 are both provided on the cover 17; the hydraulic actuator 7 is provided with a pressure relief button 15 at its tail end; the pressure relief button 15 is provided with a pressure relief lever 16; the pressure relief lever 16 is connected to the hydraulic actuator 7; the motor bracket assembly 21 includes a bracket 22, a micro motor 23 and a motor cover 24; the micro motor 23 is assembled in the bracket 22 through the motor cover 24; three downward-facing sensor holders 25 are provided on the bracket 22; there are three sensors 14, which are respectively provided at the bottom of the three sensor holders 25, corresponding to the three states of valve open, valve closed and hydraulic actuator 7 connected.

[0019] The ball valve assembly 11 includes a ball valve housing 26 disposed below the base plate 3; a ball valve cavity 27 is connected to the side of the ball valve housing 26, and a three-way ball valve 28 is disposed inside the ball valve cavity 27; the top of the ball valve cavity 27 is connected to a connecting joint 37, a ball valve stem 29 is disposed on the side, and a threaded joint 30 is connected to the front; one end of the ball valve stem 29 is connected to the three-way ball valve 28, and the other end is connected to a reduction gearbox 12. The reduction gearbox 12 is equipped with a gear set 31; the reduction gearbox 12 is also equipped with a gearbox valve stem 32; one end of the gearbox valve stem 32 passes through a side wall of the reduction gearbox 12 and is connected to the last gear of the gear set 31, and the other end is connected to the ball valve stem 29; the magnet 13 is set on the last gear of the gear set 31, and is driven to rotate by the micro motor 23 through magnetic transmission. Through the magnet 13 set on the last gear of the gear set 31, combined with the three corresponding sensors 14, the electronic module 18 controls the gear set 31 to drive the magnet 13 to the position of the corresponding sensor 14, so that the gearbox valve stem 32 drives the ball valve stem 29 and then drives the three-way ball valve 28 to rotate to the corresponding position according to the command, including three positions: valve open, valve closed, and hydraulic actuator 7 connected.

[0020] A PTFE sealing ring 33 is provided between the ball valve housing 26 and the ball valve cavity 27, between the connecting joint 37 and the ball valve cavity 27, and between the threaded joint 30 and the ball valve cavity 27 to form a seal and prevent leakage; an O-ring 34 is also provided between the connecting joint 37 and the ball valve cavity 27; a valve stem sealing ring 35 is provided between the ball valve stem 29 and the ball valve cavity 27 to further form a seal; a water meter movement 36 is provided inside the ball valve housing 26; the top of the water meter movement 36 is fitted inside the base plate 3.

[0021] The working principle of this invention is as follows: When the water meter is installed on the pipeline and is in normal water flow condition, the hydraulic actuator 7 is in the closed state (i.e., the valve is open) and there is no water pressure inside the hydraulic actuator 7. Under the action of the spring 6, the movable pin 5 is inserted into the slot 8, completing the assembly of the mechanical module component 1 and the electronic module component 2. When the smart water meter's self-test system detects signals such as insufficient battery power, increased static current of the electronic module 18, and abnormal valve switching current, it sends a signal to notify the management department. The management personnel can then use external devices such as handheld devices to issue a command to drive the three-way ball valve 28 to rotate to the position connected to the hydraulic actuator 7 (i.e., the hydraulic actuator 7 is connected). At this time, water will flow into the hydraulic actuator 7. Under the action of water pressure, the movable push rod of the hydraulic actuator 7 overcomes the elastic force of the spring 6 and pushes the movable pin 5 to the right. The movable pin 5 disengages from the slot 8 on the cover 17. At this time, the electronic module component 2 can be taken out from bottom to top along the guide rail 9. As needed, the electronic module component 2 can be replaced or repaired. After replacing the battery or reinstalling the new electronic module assembly 2 onto the mechanical module assembly 1 along the guide rail 9, a command is issued via handheld device to drive the three-way ball valve 28 to close the channel connecting the hydraulic actuator 7 to the inside of the water meter (i.e., return the valve to the open state). Then, press the pressure relief button 15 on the hydraulic actuator 7, and the pressure relief lever 16 opens the rear of the hydraulic actuator 7, releasing the water flow and relieving the internal pressure of the hydraulic actuator 7. After pressure relief, the movable pin 5 moves under the action of the spring 6, and the movable pin 5 re-inserts into the slot 8, completing the reassembly.

[0022] The design of the magnet 13 and sensor 14 in this invention also enables monitoring of the removal of the electronic module assembly 2. Under normal installation conditions, the magnet 13 will always trigger one of the three sensors 14. However, when the electronic module assembly 2 is detached from the mechanical module assembly 1, the sensor 14 will disengage from the magnet 13, and the electronic module assembly 2 will send removal information to the backend management system. This provides anti-tampering functionality and effectively prevents unauthorized personnel from illegally disassembling the water meter. The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above. It should be understood that those skilled in the art can make numerous modifications and variations based on the concept of the present invention without creative effort. Therefore, all technical solutions that can be obtained by those skilled in the art based on the concept of the present invention through logical analysis, reasoning, or limited experimentation on the basis of existing technology should be within the scope of protection defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A smart valve-controlled water meter, characterized in that, The system includes a mechanical module assembly (1) and an electronic module assembly (2). The mechanical module assembly (1) includes a base plate (3), on which a guide groove (4) is provided, and a movable pin (5) that can move back and forth is installed on the guide groove (4). One end of the movable pin (5) is connected to a spring (6), and the other end is connected to the movable push rod of a hydraulic actuator (7). The spring (6) and the hydraulic actuator (7) are both located on the base plate (3). The bottom end of the electronic module assembly (2) is provided with a slot (8) corresponding to the movable pin (5). The base plate (3) is provided with four guide rails (9). The electronic module assembly (2) is provided with a slot corresponding to the guide rails (9). The mechanical module assembly (1) includes a ball valve assembly (11) and a reduction gearbox (12). The ball valve assembly (11) is located below the base plate (3), and the reduction gearbox (12) is embedded in the base plate (3). The hydraulic actuator (7) is connected to the ball valve assembly (11) through a connecting joint (37). The ball valve assembly (11) is connected to the reduction gearbox (12). A magnet (13) is installed inside the reduction gearbox (12). A set of sensors (14) corresponding to the magnet (13) is installed inside the electronic module assembly (2). A pressure relief button (15) is installed at the tail end of the hydraulic actuator (7).

2. The intelligent valve-controlled water meter according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pressure relief button (15) is equipped with a pressure relief lever (16); the pressure relief lever (16) is connected to the hydraulic actuator (7).

3. The intelligent valve-controlled water meter according to claim 1, characterized in that, The electronic module assembly (2) includes a cover (17), an electronic module (18), and a sealing cover (38); the electronic module (18) is sealed inside the cover (17) by super-welding through the sealing cover (38); a battery compartment (19) is provided at the bottom of the cover (17), and a battery is provided inside the battery compartment (19) and sealed by a threaded sealing cover (20); a motor bracket assembly (21) is also provided at the bottom of the cover (17); the slot (8) and the slide (10) are both provided on the cover (17).

4. The intelligent valve-controlled water meter according to claim 3, characterized in that, The motor bracket assembly (21) includes a bracket (22), a micro motor (23) and a motor cover (24); the micro motor (23) is mounted inside the bracket (22) through the motor cover (24); the bracket (22) is provided with three downward-facing sensor brackets (25); there are three sensors (14), which are respectively set at the bottom of the three sensor brackets (25), corresponding to the three states of valve open, valve closed and hydraulic actuator (7) connected.

5. The intelligent valve-controlled water meter according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ball valve assembly (11) includes a ball valve housing (26) disposed below the base plate (3); a ball valve chamber (27) is connected to the side of the ball valve housing (26), and a three-way ball valve (28) is disposed in the ball valve chamber (27); the top of the ball valve chamber (27) is connected to a connecting joint (37), and a ball valve stem (29) is disposed on the side, with a threaded joint (30) connected to the front; one end of the ball valve stem (29) is connected to the three-way ball valve (28), and the other end is connected to a reduction gearbox (12).

6. The intelligent valve-controlled water meter according to claim 5, characterized in that, The gearbox (12) is equipped with a gear set (31); the gearbox (12) is also equipped with a gearbox valve stem (32); one end of the gearbox valve stem (32) passes through a side wall of the gearbox (12) and is connected to the last gear of the gear set (31), and the other end is connected to the ball valve stem (29); the magnet (13) is installed on the last gear of the gear set (31).

7. The intelligent valve-controlled water meter according to claim 5, characterized in that, A PTFE sealing ring (33) is provided between the ball valve housing (26) and the ball valve cavity (27), between the connecting joint (37) and the ball valve cavity (27), and between the threaded joint (30) and the ball valve cavity (27); an O-ring (34) is also provided between the connecting joint (37) and the ball valve cavity (27); and a valve stem sealing ring (35) is provided between the ball valve stem (29) and the ball valve cavity (27).

8. The intelligent valve-controlled water meter according to claim 5, characterized in that, The ball valve housing (26) is provided with a water meter mechanism (36); the top of the water meter mechanism (36) is fitted inside the base plate (3).

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