Ultrasonic water meter shell convenient for online replacement of battery

Abstract

The utility model discloses an ultrasonic water meter shell convenient for on-line battery replacement, which comprises an upper shell and a lower shell which are detachably connected, a main battery accommodating groove is formed in the lower shell, the main battery accommodating groove axially extends and forms two battery holes in the lower shell, the battery holes are blocked by battery end covers, and the battery end covers are arranged on the upper shell and the lower shell. And the outer wall surface of the battery end cover is flush with the corresponding outer wall surface of the lower shell. The utility model has the advantages of reasonable structure, good anti-disassembly and anti-theft performance and convenience in battery replacement.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of water meters, in particular to an ultrasonic water meter housing which is convenient for online battery replacement. Background Art

[0002] As society evolves, smart water meters are increasingly replacing traditional mechanical meters. However, these meters are typically powered by non-removable batteries with a lifespan of approximately six years. While other metering and communication components function normally, the battery typically requires the entire meter to be replaced when it reaches its end of life, resulting in significant waste. While existing water meters feature replaceable batteries, these batteries often suffer from the problem of easily dismantled end caps, causing damage that is difficult to identify, leading to disputes and difficulty determining responsibility, as well as the ineffectiveness of anti-tampering and anti-theft features once the battery is removed. Utility Model Content

[0003] The utility model discloses an ultrasonic water meter housing that facilitates online battery replacement. It solves the technical problems in the prior art of battery life limiting the service life of ultrasonic water meters and poor anti-tampering and anti-theft performance. It has a reasonable structure, good anti-tampering and anti-theft performance, and convenient battery replacement. The technical solution adopted is as follows:

[0004] A housing for an ultrasonic water meter that facilitates online battery replacement includes a detachably connected upper housing and a lower housing. A main battery accommodating groove is formed in the lower housing. The main battery accommodating groove extends axially and forms two battery holes on the lower housing. The battery holes are sealed by battery end covers, and the outer wall surface of the battery end cover is flush with the corresponding outer wall surface of the lower housing.

[0005] Based on the above technical solution, the inner bottom surface of the lower shell is provided with a plurality of first ribs, which support the main battery upward and form a main battery accommodating groove. The main battery is a waterproof battery and the bottom surface of the lower shell is provided with a plurality of drainage holes.

[0006] On the basis of the above technical solution, the inner bottom surface of the lower shell is further provided with a plurality of second ribs, and the plurality of second ribs form a spare battery accommodating groove. The spare battery is a waterproof battery which can be embedded in the spare battery accommodating groove.

[0007] Based on the above technical solution, the two ends of the backup battery are respectively abutted against the backup battery accommodating groove through the second elastic pad to stabilize the backup battery, and the two ends of the main battery are respectively abutted against the battery end cover through the first elastic pad to stabilize the main battery.

[0008] Based on the above technical solution, the end of the first rib near the middle of the main battery has an arc bent toward the battery, and the end of the second rib near the middle of the backup battery has an arc bent toward the backup battery.

[0009] On the basis of the above technical solution, the battery hole extends into the shell to form a battery bracket, which is used to support the battery end cover, and the battery bracket is integrally formed with the bottom surface and side surface of the lower shell.

[0010] Based on the above technical solution, the battery end cover includes a plurality of elastic claws extending toward the main battery receiving slot. The plurality of elastic claws are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the battery end cover, and a barb portion is provided at the end of at least one elastic claw. When the barb portion extends into the main battery receiving slot, the barb portion can engage with the battery bracket.

[0011] On the basis of the above technical solution, the ends of at least two symmetrically arranged elastic claws are provided with hook portions, and one of the hook portions is engaged in a concave cavity provided at the bottom of the main battery accommodating slot, and the other hook portion abuts against the end face of the battery bracket, and the inner wall surface of the battery bracket corresponding to the position of the hook portion is provided with an axially extending groove, and a screw can pass through the groove and be screwed to the elastic claw connected to the hook portion to position the battery end cover; and the outer wall surface of at least one elastic claw is provided with an axially extending rib, and the rib is provided with a guiding slope near the end of the main battery, and the elastic claw can abut against the battery hole through the rib.

[0012] Based on the above technical solution, the inner end surface of the battery end cover is provided with a support portion, and the support portion abuts against the main battery through a first elastic pad. The outer end surface of the battery end cover is formed with an annular groove, and the structural strength of the battery end cover is less than the structural strength of the lower shell.

[0013] On the basis of the above technical solution, the inner bottom surface of the lower shell is further provided with a wire hole for accommodating an external antenna, and the external antenna can receive signals and transmit the signals to the circuit board in the shell.

[0014] Beneficial effects

[0015] This utility model has a reasonable structure, with the battery end cap flush with the outer wall of the lower shell, ensuring good outer wall flatness. Professional tools are required to remove and replace the battery, which helps improve the ultrasonic water meter's anti-tampering and anti-theft performance. Furthermore, the main battery compartment extends axially on the lower shell to form two battery holes, allowing the operator to adaptably select one battery end cap for removal based on the installation space of the water meter, providing excellent flexibility. In this application, both the main battery and the backup battery are waterproof batteries, and the bottom surface of the lower shell is provided with a drainage hole. This ensures good waterproof performance while significantly reducing the cost of waterproof sealing, resulting in good economic efficiency.

[0016] In this application, several first ribs within the lower housing enclose a main battery compartment, while several second ribs enclose a backup battery compartment. This not only enhances the structural strength of the lower housing but also provides a smoother bottom surface. The backup battery effectively extends the life of the water meter, reducing user costs and ensuring continuous and stable operation. Furthermore, the end of at least one first rib or second rib is curved toward the battery, and elastic pads are provided at each end of the battery. This provides a secure support for the main battery or backup battery, providing shock absorption and preventing loosening.

[0017] The battery end cover in this application has a reasonable structure and includes several elastic claws to facilitate the disassembly and assembly of the battery end cover. At the same time, the barb at the end of the elastic claw can effectively position the battery end cover to prevent the battery end cover from rotating or falling off during use, thereby affecting the normal operation of the battery. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only one embodiment of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other implementation drawings can be derived from the provided drawings without inventive effort.

[0019] Figure 1 : Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the utility model;

[0020] Figure 2 : Schematic diagram of the structure of the main battery and backup battery assembled in the lower shell;

[0021] Figure 3 : Figure 2 A structural diagram in which the main battery and backup battery are removed;

[0022] Figure 4 : Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the battery end cover;

[0023] Figure 5 : Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the lower shell; DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The following description and accompanying drawings sufficiently illustrate the specific embodiments herein to enable those skilled in the art to practice them. Portions and features of some embodiments may be included in or substituted for portions and features of other embodiments. The scope of the embodiments herein includes the entire scope of the claims, including all available equivalents thereof. Herein, the terms "first," "second," and the like are used solely to distinguish one element from another and do not require or imply any actual relationship or order between these elements. In practice, the first element can also be referred to as the second element, and vice versa. Furthermore, the terms "comprise," "comprising," or any other variations thereof are intended to encompass non-exclusive inclusion, such that a structure, device, or apparatus comprising a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not explicitly listed, or elements inherent to such structure, device, or apparatus. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase "comprising a..." does not preclude the presence of other identical elements in the structure, device, or apparatus comprising the element. The various embodiments herein are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on its differences from the other embodiments. Similar or identical parts between the various embodiments can be referenced to each other.

[0025] The terms "longitudinal", "transverse", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside" and the like used herein to indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, are intended only to facilitate the description of this document and simplify the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on the present invention. In the description herein, unless otherwise specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, they can be mechanical or electrical connections, or they can be internal connections between two elements, they can be directly connected, or they can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0026] As used herein, unless otherwise specified, the term "plurality" means two or more.

[0027] In this document, the character " / " indicates that the preceding and following objects are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B means: A or B.

[0028] In this article, the term "and / or" is used to describe the association relationship between objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B means: A or B, or, A and B.

[0029] like Figures 1 to 4The shell of an ultrasonic water meter for convenient online battery replacement is provided above the fluid channel 100. The shell comprises an upper shell 1 and a lower shell 2 which are detachably connected. Figure 2 As shown, the upper and lower shells 1 and 2 are provided with threaded holes, and the upper and lower shells 1 and 2 can be fixed together using screws located at the four corners. The cavity enclosed by the upper and lower shells 1 and 2 is used to accommodate the functional components of the ultrasonic water meter, such as the circuit board and display screen. The lower shell 2 also has threading holes.

[0030] like Figure 2 and 3 As shown, a main battery accommodating groove 21 is formed in the lower shell 2, and a plurality of first ribs 211 are provided on the inner bottom surface of the lower shell 2. The plurality of first ribs 211 support the main battery 4 upward and form the main battery accommodating groove 21. Among them, the end of the first rib 211 near the middle of the main battery 4 has an arc bent toward the main battery 4, which can prevent the battery from moving upward during movement.

[0031] The main battery receiving slot 21 extends axially and forms two battery holes on the lower shell 2, and the battery holes extend into the shell to form a battery bracket 27. Figure 3 As shown, the battery bracket 27 comprises an annular structure and is used to support the battery end cap 23. The battery bracket 27 is integrally formed with the bottom and side surfaces of the lower housing 2. In this embodiment, the battery bracket 27 is connected to the first rib 211 via an arcuate surface to better support the battery. The main battery 4 is a waterproof battery, and the bottom surface of the lower housing 2 is provided with a plurality of drainage holes 24. This not only ensures good waterproof performance, but also greatly reduces the difficulty and cost of waterproofing compared to the glue sealing method. In addition, the provision of the drainage holes 24 prevents water from remaining in the lower housing 2. In this embodiment, a drainage hole is also provided between the two first ribs 211 to quickly drain any water that enters.

[0032] The battery hole is sealed by the battery end cover 23, and the outer wall surface of the battery end cover 23 is flush with the corresponding outer wall surface of the lower shell 2. This not only maintains a good flatness in appearance, but also has anti-dismantling and anti-theft functions. Professionals are required to use professional tools to remove the main battery 4. After replacing the main battery 4, a new battery end cover 23 can be installed.

[0033] like Figure 4As shown, the battery end cover 23 includes four elastic claws 231 extending toward the main battery receiving slot 21, and the four elastic claws 231 are spaced apart along the circumference of the battery end cover 23. In this embodiment, the ends of the upper and lower symmetrically arranged elastic claws 231 are provided with barbed portions 232, and the upper and lower elastic claws 231 are also connected to the inner wall surface of the battery end cover 23 through a connecting plate to improve the structural strength of the upper and lower elastic claws 231. In this embodiment, the outer wall surface of the barbed portion 232 has an angle inclined toward the axis to guide the battery end cover 23 to extend into the battery hole, and one barbed portion 232 is engaged with a concave cavity provided at the bottom of the main battery receiving slot 21, and the other barbed portion 232 abuts against the end surface of the battery bracket 27, so that the battery end cover 23 and the battery bracket 27 can be engaged and positioned to fix the battery end cover 23; in addition, as shown in FIG. Figure 5 As shown, an axially extending groove 29 is provided on the inner wall of the battery bracket 27 corresponding to the position of the barb portion 232 , and a screw can pass through the groove 29 and be screwed to the elastic claw 231 connected to the barb portion 232 to more stably position the battery end cover 23 .

[0034] The outer wall surfaces of the left and right elastic claws 231 are provided with axially extending ribs 234. The ends of the ribs 234 near the main battery 4 are provided with guiding slopes. The elastic claws 231 can abut against the battery hole through the ribs 234. The barb portion 232 and the guiding slope can both guide the battery end cover into the battery hole for installation. The inner end surface of the battery end cover 23 is provided with a support portion 233. In this embodiment, the support portion 233 includes a central tube, the side walls of which are fixedly connected to the inner end surface of the battery end cover 23 via a plurality of connecting plates. In addition, an annular groove is formed on the outer end surface of the battery end cover 23 to facilitate the operator to identify the position of the battery end cover 23 in low light conditions.

[0035] In addition, in this application, the battery end cover 23 and the lower shell 2 are both made of plastic material, and the structural strength of the battery end cover 23 is less than the structural strength of the lower shell 2, so that damage to the lower shell 2 can be reduced during the process of forcibly removing the battery end cover 23.

[0036] like Figure 3 As shown, two first elastic pads 25 are further included. The support portion 233 abuts against the main battery 4 through the first elastic pads 25 to achieve shock absorption and relaxation effects. In this embodiment, the first elastic pads 25 are foam.

[0037] like Figure 3As shown, the inner bottom surface of the lower shell 2 is also provided with a plurality of second ribs 221. The plurality of second ribs 221 form a backup battery receiving slot 22. The backup battery 5 is a waterproof battery and can be embedded in the backup battery receiving slot 22. The backup battery receiving slot 22 is arranged parallel to the main battery receiving slot 21. The end of the second rib 221 near the middle of the backup battery 5 has an arc that bends toward the backup battery 5 to prevent the backup battery 5 from moving up and down. The two ends of the backup battery 5 are respectively abutted against the backup battery receiving slot 22 by a second elastic pad 26 to provide a shock-absorbing and relaxing effect. The backup battery 5 provides power when the battery is replaced and also effectively extends the service life of the water meter.

[0038] like Figure 2 and 3 As shown, a valve-controlled actuator 8 is also provided within the lower housing 2. This valve-controlled actuator 8 is conventional and can be selected by those skilled in the art as needed, and will not be described in detail here. In other embodiments of the present invention, no valve is provided in the fluid passage 100, and accordingly, the valve-controlled actuator 8 is not provided within the lower housing 2.

[0039] The inner bottom surface of the lower housing 2 also features a cable hole 210 for an external antenna. This external antenna receives and transmits signals to the circuit board within the housing. In weak signal locations, such as underground wells, the internal antenna's data transmission success rate is low. However, the external antenna, which extends to the wellhead, provides stable signal transmission and helps ensure reliable data transmission.

[0040] The present invention is described above by way of examples, but the present invention is not limited to the above specific embodiments. Any changes or modifications based on the present invention fall within the scope of protection claimed by the present invention.

Claims

1. A housing for an ultrasonic water meter that facilitates online battery replacement, characterized in that: The invention comprises a detachably connected upper shell (1) and a lower shell (2), wherein a main battery receiving groove (21) is formed in the lower shell (2), the main battery receiving groove (21) extends axially and forms two battery holes on the lower shell, the battery holes are blocked by battery end covers (23), and the outer wall surface of the battery end cover (23) is flush with the corresponding outer wall surface of the lower shell (2).

2. The ultrasonic water meter housing for convenient online battery replacement according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner bottom surface of the lower shell (2) is provided with a plurality of first ribs (211), the plurality of first ribs (211) upwardly supporting the main battery (4) and forming a main battery accommodating groove (21), the main battery (4) being a waterproof battery and the bottom surface of the lower shell (2) being provided with a plurality of drainage holes (24).

3. The ultrasonic water meter housing for convenient online battery replacement according to claim 2, characterized in that: The inner bottom surface of the lower shell (2) is further provided with a plurality of second ribs (221), and the plurality of second ribs (221) form a backup battery receiving slot (22). The backup battery (5) is a waterproof battery and can be embedded in the backup battery receiving slot (22).

4. The ultrasonic water meter housing for convenient online battery replacement according to claim 3, characterized in that: The two ends of the backup battery (5) are respectively in contact with the backup battery receiving slot (22) via the second elastic pad (26) to stabilize the backup battery (5), and the two ends of the main battery (4) are respectively in contact with the battery end cover (23) via the first elastic pad (25) to stabilize the main battery (4).

5. The ultrasonic water meter housing for convenient online battery replacement according to claim 4, characterized in that: The end of the first rib (211) near the middle of the main battery (4) has an arc that bends toward the main battery (4), and the end of the second rib (221) near the middle of the backup battery (5) has an arc that bends toward the backup battery (5).

6. The ultrasonic water meter housing for convenient online battery replacement according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The battery hole extends into the lower shell to form a battery bracket (27), the battery bracket (27) is used to support the battery end cover (23), and the battery bracket (27) is integrally formed with the bottom surface and the side surface of the lower shell (2).

7. The ultrasonic water meter housing for convenient online battery replacement according to claim 6, characterized in that: The battery end cover (23) includes a plurality of elastic claws (231) extending toward the main battery receiving slot (21), the plurality of elastic claws (231) being spaced apart along the circumference of the battery end cover (23), and a barb portion (232) being provided at the end of at least one elastic claw (231), and when the barb portion (232) extends into the main battery receiving slot (21), the barb portion (232) can engage with the battery bracket (27).

8. The ultrasonic water meter housing for convenient online battery replacement according to claim 7, characterized in that: At least two symmetrically arranged elastic claws (231) are provided with barbed portions (232) at their ends, and one of the barbed portions (232) is engaged in a concave cavity provided at the bottom of the main battery receiving slot (21), and the other barbed portion (232) abuts against the end surface of the battery bracket (27). An axially extending groove (29) is provided on the inner wall surface of the battery bracket (27) corresponding to the position of the barbed portion (232), and a screw can pass through the groove (29) and be screwed to the elastic claw (231) connected to the barbed portion (232) to position the battery end cover (23); and an axially extending rib (234) is provided on the outer wall surface of at least one of the elastic claws (231), and a guiding inclined surface is provided on the end of the rib (234) close to the main battery (4), and the elastic claw (231) can abut against the battery hole through the rib (234).

9. The ultrasonic water meter housing for convenient online battery replacement according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that: The inner end surface of the battery end cover (23) is provided with a support portion (233), the support portion (233) abuts against the main battery (4) via a first elastic pad (25), an annular groove is formed on the outer end surface of the battery end cover (23), and the structural strength of the battery end cover (23) is less than the structural strength of the lower housing (2).

10. The ultrasonic water meter housing for convenient online battery replacement according to claim 9, characterized in that: The inner bottom surface of the lower shell (2) is also provided with a wire hole (210) for accommodating an external antenna, and the external antenna can receive signals and transmit the signals to the circuit board in the shell.

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