Water meter collector with high universality and high protection function

Abstract

The utility model provides a water meter collector with high universality and high protection function, which relates to the technical field of water meters and comprises a shell, a circuit mainboard, a circuit board box and a transparent window. The shell comprises a shell body and a cover body, the shell body and the cover body are detachably installed, and a sealing strip is arranged between the shell body and the cover body; the circuit mainboard comprises a man-machine interaction module for displaying data and at least two wireless communication modules based on different communication principles, and is used for communicating with the outside; the circuit mainboard and the circuit board box are arranged in the shell, and the circuit mainboard is arranged in the circuit board box; the circuit board box and the transparent window are both made of transparent materials, the transparent window is arranged on the cover body, the transparent window and the cover body are sealed through resin casting, and the transparent window right faces the man-machine interaction module so that data can be read through the transparent window. The water meter collector provided by the scheme has relatively high protection performance and universality.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of water meters, and in particular to a water meter collector with high universality and high protection functions. Background Art

[0002] In modern society, the effective management and use of water resources is crucial to the sustainable development of social economy. In order to achieve effective monitoring and management of water resources, traditional water meters have gradually evolved into water meters with wired or wireless remote transmission functions, both of which can use collectors for data collection and remote monitoring.

[0003] However, since the water meter collector is usually used outdoors, and the outdoor water meter collector often faces various complex and harsh environments, such as moisture, water vapor, dust, etc., and sometimes the water meter collector needs to be immersed in water for a long time. Traditional water meter collectors have poor protection performance and often face problems such as insufficient waterproof performance, insufficient dustproof performance, and easy damage, which leads to water vapor easily entering the collector, causing components to fail and unable to work normally, greatly reducing the reliability and stability of the data collected by the water meter collector. Moreover, the traditional water meter collector has a relatively single function. Not only does it need to develop different collectors for different water meters, but it is also easily restricted by different application scenarios. For example, the network and power supply configuration environments are different in different application scenarios, which leads to the need to select and install different water meter collectors according to different application environments. Therefore, the existing water meter collectors not only have poor protection performance, but also have low universality. Utility Model Content

[0004] In view of this, in order to address the above deficiencies, the utility model provides a water meter collector with high universality and high protection function to improve the protection performance and universality of the water meter collector.

[0005] The utility model provides a water meter collector with high universality and high protection function, comprising: a shell, a circuit main board, a circuit board box and a transparent window; the shell comprises a shell body and a cover body, the shell body and the cover body are detachably installed, and a sealing strip is arranged between the shell body and the cover body; the circuit main board comprises a human-computer interaction module for displaying data, and at least two wireless communication modules based on different communication principles, which are used for communicating with the outside world; the circuit main board and the circuit board box are both arranged inside the shell, and the circuit main board is arranged inside the circuit board box; the circuit board box and the transparent window are both made of transparent materials, the transparent window is arranged on the cover body, and the transparent window and the cover body are sealed by resin casting, and the transparent window faces the human-computer interaction module so that data can be read through the transparent window.

[0006] Preferably, the circuit mainboard further comprises a microprocessor, a meter reading module and a sampling module, and the microprocessor is electrically connected to the wireless communication module, the meter reading module, the human-computer interaction module and the sampling module respectively;

[0007] The meter reading module and the sampling module are used to obtain the water consumption data flowing through the water meter and send it to the microprocessor, so that the microprocessor sends it to the background main station system connected to the microprocessor through the wireless communication module.

[0008] Preferably, the human-computer interaction module includes a display screen and a button; the display screen is arranged on the circuit main board, the button is arranged on the cover body, and the circuits between the button and the cover body, and between the button and the circuit main board are sealed and waterproofed;

[0009] The microprocessor is used to display the received water consumption data through the display screen; the button is used to be triggered by the staff to view different information or execute corresponding functions.

[0010] Preferably, the wireless communication module includes a NB-IoT communication unit and a CAT1 communication unit, and the microprocessor is used to analyze the signal strengths of the NB-IoT communication unit and the CAT1 communication unit, and use the communication unit with a stronger signal to communicate with the background master station system.

[0011] Preferably, the meter reading module includes a LoRa wireless meter reading unit, an M-Bus wired meter reading unit and a 458 wired meter reading unit, which are respectively compatible with meter reading operations of different types of water meters.

[0012] Preferably, the sampling module includes a pulse sampling unit and a photoelectric direct reading sampling unit, which are used to be compatible with water meters with different sampling methods, so as to be suitable for sampling operations of water meters with different sampling methods.

[0013] Preferably, the circuit main board further comprises a valve driving module, which is electrically connected to the microprocessor and is used to control the opening and closing of the valve and the in-position detection; wherein the valve is a pilot valve or a butterfly valve.

[0014] Preferably, the circuit main board also includes a local communication module electrically connected to the microprocessor, and the local communication module includes a local infrared communication unit and a local Bluetooth communication unit; the local infrared communication unit and the local Bluetooth communication unit are both used for local maintenance or information reading of the device.

[0015] Preferably, an adapter plate is further provided in the circuit board box, and a plurality of external connection holes are provided on the side of the shell; the adapter plate is electrically connected to the circuit board, and is used to expand the external interface and lead it out through the external connection hole; the water meter collector also includes a power module, which includes a battery power supply unit and an adapter power supply unit; a battery compartment is provided at the lower end of the shell, which is used to install a battery to power the water meter collector; the adapter power supply unit powers the water meter collector through a power adapter with an input of 220V and an output of 5V or 12V.

[0016] Preferably, the adapter board is provided with a battery interface, an external power interface, a valve interface, an M-Bus interface, a sampling interface and a 485 interface; the battery interface is electrically connected to the battery power supply unit, and the external power interface is electrically connected to the adapter power supply unit; the valve interface, sampling interface, M-Bus interface and 485 interface are all used to be electrically connected to the corresponding water meter to perform corresponding valve control, sampling operations and meter reading operations.

[0017] It can be seen from the above technical scheme that the water meter collector with high universality and high protection function provided by the utility model includes a shell, a circuit main board, a circuit board box and a transparent window, wherein the shell and the cover body constituting the shell are detachably connected, and a sealing strip is arranged between them to ensure the sealing of the shell. The circuit main board and the circuit board box are both arranged inside the shell, and the circuit main board is arranged inside the circuit board box, and the circuit main board is further protected by the circuit board box. The circuit board box and the transparent window are both made of transparent materials, and the transparent window is arranged on the cover body, and it is sealed between the cover body by resin casting, which further improves the protection function. In this way, through the protection functions such as sealing strips, resin casting and circuit board boxes, it is avoided that external water vapor and moisture affect or damage the circuit main board inside the shell, and the reliability and stability of the data collected by the water meter collector are ensured. In addition, the water meter collector provided by this scheme supports communication based on multiple communication principles, so that it can be selected according to the signal strength or the mode supported by the water meter, and there is no need to install different water meter collectors for different types of water meters, and it has higher universality. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a water meter collector with high universality and high protection function provided by the utility model.

[0019] Figure 2 A sectional view from the side of a water meter collector structure with high universality and high protection function provided by the utility model.

[0020] Figure 3 The present invention is a schematic diagram of a circuit mainboard provided by the present invention.

[0021] In the figure: shell 10, shell 11, cover 12, circuit main board 20, microprocessor 21, wireless communication module 22, NB-IoT communication unit 221, CAT1 communication unit 222, meter reading module 23, LoRa wireless meter reading unit 231, M-Bus wired meter reading unit 232, 458 wired meter reading unit 233, local communication module 24, local infrared communication unit 241, local Bluetooth communication unit 242, human-computer interaction module 25, display screen 251, button 252, sampling module 26, pulse sampling unit 261, photoelectric direct reading sampling unit 262, valve drive module 27, adapter board 28, battery interface 281, external power interface 282, valve interface 283, M-Bus interface 284, sampling interface 285, 485 interface 286, circuit board box 30, transparent window 40, external connection hole 50, battery compartment 60. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the utility model, the drawings required for use in the embodiments are briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the utility model. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0023] The following problems are common in existing water meter collectors: (1) Inadequate protection. Existing water meter collectors cannot encapsulate the entire circuit board, and the protection level can only reach IP65. Once moisture or water enters, the components of the circuit board will fail, causing the collector to fail to work normally; (2) The power supply method is not selectable. At present, water meter collectors are basically powered by AC power. For some installation environments without AC power, the power cord needs to be rearranged, which is troublesome to operate and construct; (3) Single function. Existing water meter collectors have separate wired and wireless collectors, which are not compatible. Moreover, the collector intelligently collects water meter data and cannot be used for water meter sampling and valve control. In addition, the communication method is also single. A water meter collector only supports one communication method, which is difficult to apply to different environments and different types of water meters.

[0024] Based on this, see Figure 1-3The utility model proposes a water meter collector with high universality and high protection function, including: a shell 10, a circuit main board 20, a circuit board box 30 and a transparent window 40; the shell 10 includes a shell 11 and a cover body 12, the shell 11 and the cover body 12 are detachably installed, and a sealing strip is arranged between the shell 11 and the cover body 12; the circuit main board 20 includes a human-computer interaction module 25 for displaying data, and at least two wireless communication modules 22 based on different communication principles for communicating with the outside world; the circuit main board 20 and the circuit board box 30 are both arranged inside the shell 10, and the circuit main board 20 is arranged inside the circuit board box 30; the circuit board box 30 and the transparent window 40 are both made of transparent materials, the transparent window 40 is arranged on the cover body 12, and the transparent window 40 and the cover body 12 are sealed by resin casting, and the transparent window 40 is directly opposite to the human-computer interaction module 25, so that data can be read through the transparent window 40.

[0025] In this embodiment, the housing 10 may be composed of a detachable shell 11 and a cover 12 , and a sealing strip is provided between the shell 11 and the cover 12 to prevent moisture and humidity from entering the interior of the shell 11 .

[0026] The circuit main board 20 may include a microprocessor 21, a wireless communication module 22, a meter reading module 23, a local communication module 24, a human-computer interaction module 25, a sampling module 26 and a valve driving module 27, and the microprocessor 21 is respectively connected to the wireless communication module 22, the meter reading module 23, the local communication module 24, the human-computer interaction module 25, the sampling module 26 and the valve driving module 27. The meter reading module 23 and the sampling module 26 may be used to obtain the water consumption data in the flow meter and send it to the microprocessor 21, which is then sent by the microprocessor 21 to the background master station system in communication connection with the microprocessor 21 through the wireless communication module 22, so as to realize the data interaction between the water meter collector and the background master station system, and realize remote meter reading and data monitoring.

[0027] As for the human-computer interaction module 25, it can specifically include a display screen 251 and a button 252, the display screen 251 is arranged on the circuit main board 20, the button 252 is arranged on the cover body 12, and the circuits between the button 252 and the cover body 12, and between the button 252 and the circuit main board 20 are all sealed and waterproof. The display screen 251 can be an LCD display screen 251, which is driven by an LCD driver chip. The button 252 can be a spring-type press switch composed of a touch button 252 chip and a touch spring. In this way, the microprocessor 21 can be used to display the received water consumption and other data through the display screen 251, and the button 252 can be triggered by the staff to turn pages to view different information, or trigger related functions.

[0028] For the wireless communication module 22, it can support different types of communication methods, such as including NB-IoT communication unit 221 and CAT1 communication unit 222. The microprocessor 21 can be used to analyze the signal strength of the NB-IoT communication unit 221 and the CAT1 communication unit 222, so as to use the communication unit with a stronger signal to communicate with the background master system to ensure smooth and stable communication. For example, if the on-site NB-IoT network signal is good, the NB-IoT communication unit 221 is selected for communication. If the on-site 4G network signal is good, the CAT1 communication unit 222 is selected for communication. In this way, regardless of whether it is a wired remote water meter or a wireless remote water meter installed in various places, the water meter collector provided by this solution can report the collected data to the water company background through NB-IoT or CAT1, avoiding the installation of different water meter collectors for different water meters and saving construction costs. At the same time, the water meter collector provided by this solution can also remotely monitor the water use and operation of each user's water meter in real time, greatly saving the cost of on-site maintenance by the water company.

[0029] In addition, the antennas of the NB-IoT communication unit 221 and the CAT1 communication unit 222 can be standard waterproof patch external antennas, or fixed-value FPC, steel sheet or spring antennas, which can be selected according to the site environment and network. Moreover, the frequency bands supported by the NB-IoT communication unit 221 and the CAT1 communication unit 222 can include BAND3, BAND5, BAND8, etc.

[0030] For the meter reading module 23, the water meter collector provided by this solution may include a LoRa wireless meter reading unit 231, an M-Bus wired meter reading unit 232 and a 458 wired meter reading unit 233, so as to be compatible with meter reading operations of different types of water meters, and have higher universality.

[0031] As for the sampling module 26 , the water meter collector provided by the present solution may include a pulse sampling unit 261 and a photoelectric direct reading sampling unit 262 , which are used to be compatible with water meters of different sampling methods, so as to be applicable to sampling operations of water meters of different sampling methods.

[0032] The valve driving module 27 is electrically connected to the microprocessor 21 and is used to control the opening and closing of the valve and the detection of the valve being in position. For example, the valve driving module 27 can drive and control a large-caliber pilot valve, a butterfly valve, etc.

[0033] In one embodiment, the circuit main board 20 may also include a local communication module 24 electrically connected to the microprocessor 21, and the local communication module 24 may specifically include a local infrared communication unit 241 and a local Bluetooth communication unit 242, and both the local infrared communication unit 241 and the local Bluetooth communication unit 242 may be used for local maintenance or information reading of the device. In this way, in specific use, the local communication module 24 is infrared and Bluetooth coexistent, and the customer can choose local maintenance or information reading according to their preferences. It can be seen that the water meter collector provided by this solution can be an electronically controlled meter head of a large-caliber meter, which can measure pulse-sampled large-caliber meters, read the samples of photoelectric direct-reading large-caliber meters, and can control large-caliber matching pilot valves or butterfly valves.

[0034] In addition, in order to further expand the function of the water meter collector, an adapter board 28 can be further provided in the circuit board box 30, and a plurality of external connection holes 50 are provided on the side of the shell 11; the adapter board 28 is electrically connected to the circuit main board 20, and is used to expand the external interface and lead out through the external connection hole 50; the water meter collector also includes a power module, which includes a battery power supply unit and an adapter power supply unit; a battery compartment 60 is provided at the lower end of the shell 11, and is used to install a battery to power the water meter collector; the adapter power supply unit powers the water meter collector through a power adapter with an input of 220V and an output of 5V or 12V.

[0035] In this embodiment, the adapter board 28 may be provided with a battery interface 281, an external power interface 282, a valve interface 283, an M-Bus interface 284, a sampling interface 285, and a 485 interface 286; the battery interface 281 is electrically connected to the battery power supply unit, and the external power interface 282 is electrically connected to the adapter power supply unit; the valve interface 283, the sampling interface 285, the M-Bus interface 284, and the 485 interface 286 are all used to electrically connect to the corresponding water meter to perform corresponding valve control, sampling operations, and meter reading operations. Among them, the circuit main board 20 and the adapter board 28 are connected through a single row of pins.

[0036] The battery compartment 60 can be configured to accommodate four ER26500 lithium batteries or two ER34615 lithium batteries. The lithium batteries are encapsulated with ABS plastic shells and then filled with epoxy resin. The protection level can reach IP68 to support the battery to power the water meter collector. At the same time, the water meter collector can be powered by external AC power through an adapter with an output of 5V or 12V. The power supply mode is flexible and can better meet the requirements of different application scenarios and application environments.

[0037] In summary, the utility model provides a water meter collector with high universality and high protection function, which has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0038] (1) In this solution, the circuit main board 20 is placed in the circuit board box 30, and a transparent window 40 is set on the cover 12. The circuit main board 20 is connected to the adapter board 28 through a single row of pins. The adapter board 28 is placed inside the shell 11. The transparent window 40 is sealed by casting with epoxy resin. After casting, the circuit main board 20 is completely isolated from the outside world. In this way, the protection of the whole machine can reach IP68. Even if the external interface harness is damaged, water vapor or moisture cannot enter the circuit main board 20 in the circuit board box 30, which will not affect the function of the water meter collector, ensuring normal tax data collection and reducing the loss caused by replacing the collector.

[0039] (2) The power module of this solution can be fully powered by lithium batteries or external AC power, and the power supply method is relatively flexible; the uplink wireless communication module 22 can select NB-IoT communication or CAT1 communication according to the network coverage on site, and the communication method is not restricted; the meter reading module 23 can be compatible with multiple types of water meters at the same time, such as LoRa, M-Bus, RS485, etc., with higher universality; the local communication module 24 can support the coexistence of infrared and Bluetooth, and users can choose local maintenance or reading information according to their preferences or specific application scenarios. In addition, the water meter collector provided by this solution is not only the electronic control head of the large-diameter meter, but also can measure the pulse sampling large-diameter meter, and can read the sampling of the photoelectric direct reading large-diameter meter, and can also control the large-diameter matching pilot valve or butterfly valve.

[0040] The modules or units in the device of the embodiment of the utility model can be combined, divided and deleted according to actual needs. The above disclosure is only the preferred embodiment of the utility model, and of course it cannot be used to limit the scope of the rights of the utility model. Ordinary technicians in this field can understand that all or part of the processes of the above embodiments are implemented, and equivalent changes made according to the claims of the utility model still fall within the scope of the utility model.

Claims

1. A water meter collector with high universality and high protection function, characterized in that: include: A shell, a circuit board, a circuit board box and a transparent window; the shell includes a shell and a cover, the shell and the cover are detachably mounted, and a sealing strip is provided between the shell and the cover; the circuit board includes a human-computer interaction module for displaying data, and at least two wireless communication modules based on different communication principles for communicating with the outside world; the circuit board and the circuit board box are both arranged inside the shell, and the circuit board is arranged inside the circuit board box; the circuit board box and the transparent window are both made of transparent materials, the transparent window is arranged on the cover, and the transparent window and the cover are sealed by resin casting, and the transparent window faces the human-computer interaction module so that data can be read through the transparent window.

2. The water meter collector with high universality and high protection function according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The circuit mainboard also includes a microprocessor, a meter reading module and a sampling module, and the microprocessor is electrically connected to the wireless communication module, the meter reading module, the human-computer interaction module and the sampling module respectively; The meter reading module and the sampling module are used to obtain the water consumption data flowing through the water meter and send it to the microprocessor, so that the microprocessor sends it to the background main station system connected to the microprocessor through the wireless communication module.

3. The water meter collector with high universality and high protection function according to claim 2 is characterized in that: The human-computer interaction module includes a display screen and a button; the display screen is arranged on the circuit main board, the button is arranged on the cover body, and the circuits between the button and the cover body, and between the button and the circuit main board are sealed and waterproofed; The microprocessor is used to display the received water consumption data through the display screen; the button is used to be triggered by the staff to view different information or execute corresponding functions.

4. The water meter collector with high universality and high protection function according to claim 2 is characterized in that: The wireless communication module includes an NB-IoT communication unit and a CAT1 communication unit. The microprocessor is used to analyze the signal strengths of the NB-IoT communication unit and the CAT1 communication unit, and use the communication unit with a stronger signal to communicate with the background master station system.

5. The water meter collector with high universality and high protection function according to claim 2 is characterized in that: The meter reading module includes a LoRa wireless meter reading unit, an M-Bus wired meter reading unit and a 458 wired meter reading unit, which are respectively compatible with meter reading operations of different types of water meters.

6. The water meter collector with high universality and high protection function according to claim 2 is characterized in that: The sampling module includes a pulse sampling unit and a photoelectric direct reading sampling unit, which are used to be compatible with water meters with different sampling methods and to be suitable for sampling operations of water meters with different sampling methods.

7. The water meter collector with high universality and high protection function according to claim 2 is characterized in that: The circuit main board also includes a valve driving module, which is electrically connected to the microprocessor and is used to control the opening and closing of the valve and the detection of the valve being in place; wherein the valve is a pilot valve or a butterfly valve.

8. The water meter collector with high universality and high protection function according to claim 2 is characterized in that: The circuit main board also includes a local communication module electrically connected to the microprocessor, and the local communication module includes a local infrared communication unit and a local Bluetooth communication unit; the local infrared communication unit and the local Bluetooth communication unit are both used for local maintenance or information reading of the device.

9. The water meter collector with high universality and high protection function according to claim 1 is characterized in that: An adapter plate is also provided in the circuit board box, and a plurality of external connection holes are provided on the side of the shell; the adapter plate is electrically connected to the circuit board, and is used to expand the external interface and lead it out through the external connection hole; the water meter collector also includes a power module, which includes a battery power supply unit and an adapter power supply unit; a battery compartment is provided at the lower end of the shell, and is used to install a battery to power the water meter collector; the adapter power supply unit powers the water meter collector through a power adapter with an input of 220V and an output of 5V or 12V.

10. The water meter collector with high universality and high protection function according to claim 9 is characterized in that: The adapter board is provided with a battery interface, an external power interface, a valve interface, an M-Bus interface, a sampling interface and a 485 interface; the battery interface is electrically connected to the battery power supply unit, and the external power interface is electrically connected to the adapter power supply unit; the valve interface, sampling interface, M-Bus interface and 485 interface are all used to be electrically connected to the corresponding water meter to perform corresponding valve control, sampling operations and meter reading operations.

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