External antenna with high sealing performance and meter equipped with external antenna

Abstract

The utility model discloses an external antenna with high sealing performance and a meter equipped with the external antenna. The external antenna with high sealing performance comprises a shell with an opening at the lower end, an antenna fixing seat plugged on the inner wall of the shell, and an antenna with the root part plugged on the antenna fixing seat, the antenna fixing seat divides the inner cavity of the shell into a sealing cavity and a sealant filling cavity for filling sealant up and down; and the antenna main body is sealed in the sealing ring. The high-sealing-performance external antenna is simple in structure and convenient to install and use, the waterproof sealing performance of the antenna is greatly improved through double-cavity arrangement and potting arrangement of the inner cavity of the shell, and the high-sealing-performance external antenna can be widely applied to various severe environments.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of external antennas, in particular to an external antenna with high sealing performance and a meter equipped with the external antenna. Background Art

[0002] There are two ways to install the antenna: internal and external. Currently, small instrument products on the market mainly adopt the internal antenna method.

[0003] The main problems with built-in antennas are as follows: First, built-in antennas have high requirements for the internal space layout of the device. In order to match the layout of the built-in antenna, many products on the market often have partial protrusions in the outer shell design, which affects the appearance of the product and affects the installation of the device when the installation and use environment is complex; second, due to the position and design limitations of the built-in antenna, its signal strength is limited and the signal effect may only be better in a specific direction. As the installation and use environment becomes more and more complex, the form of the built-in antenna is difficult to meet the strength requirements of the remote transmission signal; third, the built-in antenna may be interfered with by the electronic components inside the device, thereby affecting the signal quality; fourth, the built-in antenna is difficult to replace and the maintenance cost is high. If there is a problem, the entire device needs to be replaced.

[0004] Large instruments or equipment with complex installation environments and high signal strength requirements often use external antennas. An external antenna is a transducer installed on the outer surface of the equipment or on the wall, which transmits information through electromagnetic waves. In recent years, ultrasonic water meters or electromagnetic water meters have appeared more and more in the field of water metering, gradually replacing mechanical meters and being widely used. The installation and use environment of water meters is becoming more and more complex and harsh. The structure of the built-in antenna is difficult to meet the strength requirements of the remote transmission signal. Compared with the built-in antenna, the signal strength of the external antenna is stronger and more stable, and it can better adapt to different environments and is flexible. If a problem occurs, only the antenna needs to be replaced instead of the entire device.

[0005] However, most of the external antennas on the market currently only meet the signal transmission requirements in harsh environments, and their sealing and waterproof properties are difficult to meet the requirements. The base of the traditional external antenna is installed on the device or wall by magnetic attraction or double-sided tape. Figure 1 , the traditional antenna X2 is installed on the surface of X1 by adding a magnet X3 at the bottom. Since the antenna is exposed, it is easily corroded, and its sealing and waterproof performance are very poor. Its working life in harsh environments is short. Strong winds, exposure to the sun, rain, humidity and other environments will further shorten the service life of the antenna. Therefore, existing conventional external antennas are difficult to meet the needs of external installation and use.

[0006] Therefore, the prior art needs to be further developed. Utility Model Content

[0007] In view of the above technical problems, the utility model provides an external antenna with high sealing performance and a meter equipped with the external antenna to solve the problem of poor sealing of existing external antennas. The external antenna with high sealing performance has a simple structure, a waterproof grade reaching IPX8-I II, a wide range of applications and a long service life.

[0008] In view of the above problems, the utility model provides the following technical solutions:

[0009] On the one hand, the present application provides an external antenna with high sealing performance, which includes an outer shell with an opening at the lower end, an antenna fixing base sealed on the inner wall of the outer shell, and an antenna whose root is plugged into the antenna fixing base. The antenna fixing base divides the inner cavity of the outer shell into a sealing cavity and a glue filling cavity for filling sealant, and the antenna body is sealed in a sealing ring.

[0010] Optionally, in the external antenna with high sealing performance, a mounting hole is provided on the antenna fixing seat, the antenna is sealingly plugged into the mounting hole of the antenna fixing seat through a rubber wire sleeve, and the mounting hole is snap-fitted with the rubber wire sleeve.

[0011] Optionally, in the external antenna with high sealing performance, a sealing ring positioning groove for installing the sealing ring is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the antenna fixing seat.

[0012] Optionally, in the high-sealing performance external antenna, a lead is connected to the bottom of the antenna, a metal hose is sleeved on the outer surface of the lead, a hose positioning frame extends downward from the bottom of the antenna fixing seat, and a slot is provided on the hose positioning frame for clamping the outer wall of the metal hose.

[0013] Optionally, in the high sealing performance external antenna, the hose positioning frame is a semi-annular structure and the card slot is a semicircular structure.

[0014] Optionally, in the high sealing performance external antenna, a fixing portion for connecting to an external structure is disposed on the outer wall of the shell, and a slot for plugging into the external structure is provided on the fixing portion, and the notch of the slot is arranged downward.

[0015] Optionally, in the external antenna with high sealing performance, an elastic buckle for engaging with a clamping hole of an external structure is provided on the inner wall of the slot, and the elastic buckle protrudes into the slot groove.

[0016] Optionally, in the high sealing performance external antenna, the fixing part and the shell are integrally formed, or the fixing part and the shell are fixedly connected by bonding, screwing or clamping. The outer surface of the shell is provided with reinforcing ribs.

[0017] Optionally, the high sealing performance external antenna further includes a fixing frame clamped with the fixing part, the plug-in part on the fixing frame is plugged into the slot of the fixing part, and the plug-in part is provided with a clamping hole clamped with the elastic buckle.

[0018] On the other hand, the present application also provides a meter equipped with the aforementioned high-sealing performance external antenna.

[0019] The high-sealing performance external antenna and the meter equipped with the external antenna provided by the utility model have the following beneficial effects:

[0020] 1. The antenna is simply and firmly fixed in the shell through the antenna fixing seat. By filling the bottom of the shell with glue, multiple sealing is achieved from the glue to the antenna fixing seat, and then to the O-ring and rubber wire sleeve, which greatly improves the overall sealing and waterproofness of the external antenna, so that the antenna can adapt to harsh working environments and extend the life of the antenna without affecting signal transmission. Its waterproof level reaches the IPX8-I II level of the China Metrology Association group standard T / CMA SB 058-2021, while the protection level of conventional products currently only reaches the IPX8-I of this standard; the external antenna can achieve reliable sealing even when immersed in water for more than 30 days under temperature changes, and can be widely used in various harsh environments.

[0021] 2. The high-sealing performance external antenna is connected to the fixing part and the fixing frame by a buckle, which can effectively reduce the difficulty of installation and disassembly maintenance and make the installation more stable. When the device is transported and moved, the antenna can be directly hung on the buckle of the device, which effectively improves portability.

[0022] 3. The antenna lead is wrapped with a metal hose for protection, which improves the waterproof performance of the lead while preventing it from being damaged by humans or insects. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of an existing conventional external antenna;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the high sealing performance external antenna of Example 1 of the utility model;

[0025] Figure 3 It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a high sealing performance external antenna;

[0026] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the longitudinal cross-section structure of a high-sealing external antenna; this figure shows the state after the lead wires are installed and the glue is poured;

[0027] Figure 5 This is an exploded diagram of the structure of the high sealing performance external antenna;

[0028] Figure 6 This is an exploded view of the structure of the external antenna and the fixing bracket;

[0029] Figure 7This is the assembly diagram of the external antenna and the fixing bracket;

[0030] The reference numerals are described as follows:

[0031] Antenna 1, shell 2, reinforcing rib 21, sealing cavity 22, glue pouring cavity 23, antenna fixing seat 3, hose positioning frame 31, card slot 31a, sealing ring positioning groove 32, rubber wire sleeve 4, sealant 5, fixing part 8, slot 81, elastic buckle 82, fixing frame 9, card hole 91, lead 01, metal hose 02. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the utility model to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the utility model. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the utility model, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work are within the scope of protection of the utility model.

[0033] It should be noted that when an element is described as "fixed to" another element, it can be directly on another element, or there can be one or more centered elements between them. When an element is described as "connected" to another element, it can be directly connected to another element, or there can be one or more centered elements between them. The terms "vertical", "horizontal", "left", "right", "upper", "lower", "inner", "outer", "bottom" and the like used in this specification indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, which is only for the convenience of describing the utility model and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation of the utility model. In addition, the terms "first", "second" and the like are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this specification have the same meaning as those generally understood by technicians in the technical field of the utility model. The terms used in this specification in the specification of the utility model are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments, and are not used to limit the utility model. The term "and / or" used in this specification includes any and all combinations of one or more related listed items. In addition, the technical features involved in the different embodiments of the present invention described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0034] Example 1

[0035] This embodiment provides an external antenna with high sealing performance, such as Figures 2 to 5As shown, the external antenna comprises: a shell 2 with an opening at the lower end, an antenna fixing seat 3 sealed on the inner wall of the shell, and an antenna 1, wherein the root of the antenna is plugged into the antenna fixing seat.

[0036] like Figure 3 As shown, the antenna fixing seat 3 divides the inner cavity of the housing into a sealing cavity 22 located at the top and a glue filling cavity 23 located at the bottom for filling with sealant 5.

[0037] The antenna body is sealed in the sealing cavity 22. The glue pouring cavity 23 is open at the bottom, and sealant can be poured into the cavity through the opening. When the sealant solidifies, it not only completes the sealing and fixing of the internal structure of the shell, but also improves the waterproof sealing of the sealing cavity adjacent to the glue pouring cavity.

[0038] In order to improve the sealing and connection stability of the antenna installation, a mounting hole is provided on the antenna fixing seat 3, and the antenna is sealed and plugged into the mounting hole of the antenna fixing seat through a rubber wire sleeve 4, and the rubber wire sleeve is clamped with the mounting hole.

[0039] The antenna fixing seat 3 is snap-fitted, bonded or interference-fitted to the inner wall of the housing.

[0040] In order to further improve the sealing performance, a sealing ring positioning groove 32 for installing a sealing ring is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the antenna fixing seat 3. In this embodiment, the sealing ring is an O-shaped sealing ring, and the sealing ring positioning groove is a corresponding annular positioning groove.

[0041] The sealing ring in the sealing ring positioning groove 32 is used to improve the sealing between the antenna fixing seat and the inner wall of the shell, and the rubber wire sleeve is used to improve the sealing of the connection between the antenna and the antenna fixing seat. Finally, after the antenna is assembled as a whole, the glue filling cavity at the lower part of the shell is filled with glue to strengthen the fixation of the internal structure of the antenna. The above three structures realize multi-pass sealing inside the antenna, which greatly improves the sealing level of the external antenna.

[0042] In order to improve the shell strength of the external antenna, the outer surface of the shell is provided with reinforcing ribs 21. The reinforcing ribs are multiple and can be arranged along the length direction (axial direction) or circumferential direction of the outer surface of the shell. This arrangement makes the shell less susceptible to corrosion or damage, and strengthens the protection of the antenna inside the shell.

[0043] In actual application, the bottom of the antenna is connected to a lead 01, which is used to achieve electrical connection with the matching electronic components (such as a water meter circuit board). However, due to harsh environments, the lead is easily damaged by aging, or damaged by human damage or animal gnawing. Therefore, in order to improve the strength of the lead and extend its service life, the following improvements are made: a metal hose 02 is sheathed on the outer surface of the lead.

[0044] The head of the metal hose is inserted into the glue filling cavity, but since the metal hose is easy to move, it is not easy to position during the glue filling process. To solve this problem, the following settings are made: Figure 4 and 5 As shown, a hose positioning frame 31 extends downward from the bottom of the antenna fixing seat 3, and a clamping groove 31a for clamping the outer wall of the metal hose is provided on the hose positioning frame 31. The metal hose is initially positioned by clamping with the hose positioning frame, which facilitates the subsequent glue filling operation and the efficiency of the sealant solidification. After the glue solidifies, the overall fixation of the metal hose is completed.

[0045] In this embodiment, the hose positioning frame 31 is a semi-annular structure, and the clamping groove is a semicircular structure. The hose positioning frame has a simple structure and is easy to use, so that the metal hose can be quickly clamped into the clamping groove.

[0046] The above-mentioned setting not only meets the waterproofness and sealing requirements of the antenna end, but also pays attention to the protection of the antenna lead. Taking into account other factors besides environmental factors such as weather, such as damage to the antenna lead caused by human damage, animal damage, etc., the antenna housing is cooperated to achieve overall protection of the antenna and its lead.

[0047] In addition, the existing magnetic installation method for external antennas is unstable. It is easy for the antenna or chassis to fall off the equipment or wall due to strong winds, vibrations, and weakening of magnetic force due to long-term use. In addition, some more complex installation environments such as wells cannot be fixed by magnetic attraction. In addition, if the magnetic installation method is not adopted, the external antenna usually requires an additional fixing device to fix it, which not only makes the device not portable when moving, but also makes it difficult to disassemble and maintain.

[0048] In view of the above problems, the high sealing performance external antenna of the present application is improved as follows: a fixing part 8 for connecting to an external structure is arranged on the outer wall of the shell, and a slot 81 for plugging into the external structure is arranged on the fixing part 8, and the notch of the slot is arranged downward.

[0049] The external structure is a wall or a structure positioned on a fixed surface, and the antenna is fixed at a target position by a fixing portion or by cooperating with a target connector.

[0050] In this embodiment, the fixing portion 8 and the housing are integrally formed. In other embodiments, the fixing portion 8 and the housing are fixedly connected by bonding, screwing or clamping. The structure and position of the fixing portion are not limited to the drawings of this embodiment.

[0051] In order to further improve the stability of the connection between the fixing part 8 and the external structure, an elastic buckle 82 for engaging with the clamping hole of the external structure is further provided on the inner wall of the slot, and the elastic buckle protrudes into the slot groove.

[0052] like Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, in order to facilitate the installation of the external antenna, the high sealing performance external antenna also includes a fixing frame 9 that is clamped with the fixing part, the plug-in part on the fixing frame is plugged into the slot of the fixing part, and the plug-in part is provided with a card hole 91 that is clamped with the elastic buckle.

[0053] In this embodiment, the fixing frame is a U-shaped sheet metal part, and the external antenna is fixed at a target position, such as the inner wall of an underground pipeline close to the ground, through the fixing frame to improve signal strength.

[0054] During the installation process, you only need to insert the plug-in part of the fixing bracket into the slot 81, and at the same time, the elastic buckle 82 in the slot is snapped into the card hole of the fixing bracket to complete the fixing of the outer shell of the external antenna and the fixing bracket; then fix the other end of the fixing bracket to other equipment or fix it to a surface such as a wall by screw connection to complete the installation and fixation of the external antenna. The setting of the above-mentioned external antenna can effectively reduce the difficulty of installation and disassembly maintenance, and make the installation more stable. When the equipment is transported and moved, the antenna can be directly hung on the buckle of the equipment to effectively improve portability.

[0055] Example 2

[0056] This embodiment provides a meter, which is equipped with the high-sealing performance external antenna of Embodiment 1. The meter can be a gas meter, a water meter, a heat meter, and the like.

[0057] The waterproof sealing performance of the external antenna is as high as IPX8-I II, so it can be applied to various working environments, and can be used in conjunction with various meters, such as gas meters, water meters, heat meters, etc.

[0058] The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative, wherein the units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated. It is understood that, for those skilled in the art, equivalent replacements or changes can be made according to the technical solution and concept of the utility model, and all such changes or replacements shall fall within the scope of protection of the claims attached to the utility model.

Claims

1. A high sealing performance external antenna, characterized in that: It includes a shell with an opening at the lower end, an antenna fixing base sealed on the inner wall of the shell, and an antenna whose root is plugged into the antenna fixing base. The antenna fixing base divides the inner cavity of the shell into a sealed cavity located at the upper part and a glue filling cavity located at the lower part for filling with sealant. The antenna body is sealed in the sealed cavity.

2. The high sealing performance external antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The antenna fixing seat is provided with a mounting hole, the antenna is sealed and plugged into the mounting hole of the antenna fixing seat through a rubber wire sleeve, and the mounting hole is clamped with the rubber wire sleeve.

3. The high sealing performance external antenna according to claim 2, characterized in that: The outer peripheral surface of the antenna fixing seat is provided with a sealing ring positioning groove for installing the sealing ring.

4. The high sealing performance external antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: A lead is connected to the bottom of the antenna, a metal hose is sleeved on the outer surface of the lead, a hose positioning frame extends downward from the bottom of the antenna fixing seat, and a clamping groove for clamping the outer wall of the metal hose is arranged on the hose positioning frame.

5. The high sealing performance external antenna according to claim 4, characterized in that: The hose positioning frame is a semi-annular structure, and the clamping groove is a semicircular structure.

6. The high sealing performance external antenna according to claim 1 or 4, characterized in that: A fixing part for connecting with an external structure is arranged on the outer wall of the shell, and a slot for plugging into the external structure is arranged on the fixing part, and the notch of the slot is arranged downward.

7. The high sealing performance external antenna according to claim 6, characterized in that: An elastic buckle for engaging with a clamping hole of an external structure is arranged on the inner wall of the slot, and the elastic buckle protrudes into the slot groove.

8. The high sealing performance external antenna according to claim 7, characterized in that: The fixing part and the shell are integrally formed, or the fixing part and the shell are fixedly connected by bonding, screwing or clamping; and the outer surface of the shell is provided with reinforcing ribs.

9. The high sealing performance external antenna according to claim 7, characterized in that: It also includes a fixing frame which is clamped with the fixing part, the plug-in part on the fixing frame is plugged and matched with the slot of the fixing part, and the plug-in part is provided with a clamping hole which is clamped with the elastic buckle.

10. A meter, provided with the high sealing performance external antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 5 and 7 to 9.

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