Water meter structure with anti-freezing function and ultrasonic water meter

Abstract

The utility model relates to the field of water meters, in particular to a water meter structure with an anti-freezing function and an ultrasonic water meter. Comprising a water meter pipe section, a water flowing cavity is formed in the water meter pipe section, a compression cavity communicated with the water flowing cavity is formed in the peripheral side of the water flowing cavity, a piston block is arranged in the compression cavity, the piston block is connected with the bottom of the compression cavity through an elastic piece, and the piston block stretches and retracts in the compression cavity according to the pressure change of the water flowing cavity in the water meter pipe section. According to the water meter structure with the anti-freezing function and the ultrasonic water meter, through movement of the piston block in the compression cavity, expansion pressure generated during freezing can be released, and damage to all components during freezing is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of water meters, and in particular to a water meter structure with antifreeze function and an ultrasonic water meter. Background Technology

[0002] The descriptions in this section are provided for background information related to this disclosure only and do not constitute prior art. In extremely cold environments, the process of tap water in the pipe turning from water to ice causes the water to expand in volume due to the decrease in water density (the volume of water expands by about 1 / 11 after it completely turns into ice). This causes varying degrees of deformation to the transducer reflector of the ultrasonic water meter and other components of the pipe section, ultimately leading to changes in the metering accuracy of the water meter.

[0003] Traditional ultrasonic water meters and other types of water meters are mainly protected against freezing by adding external insulation materials or insulated boxes, which requires a significant investment of manpower and costs during installation. Many of the related antifreeze ultrasonic water meter structures suffer from poor antifreeze performance due to high production costs, large dimensions, significant interference with water meter accuracy caused by the antifreeze structure, and large changes in meter error before and after freezing. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, this application provides a water meter structure with antifreeze function and an ultrasonic water meter, which can release the expansion pressure generated when freezing by the movement of the piston block in the compression chamber, thereby reducing the damage to various components when freezing.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this application employs the following technical solution:

[0006] A water meter structure with antifreeze function is characterized in that: it includes a water meter pipe section, a water flow chamber is provided inside the water meter pipe section, a compression chamber is provided around the water flow chamber and communicates with it, a piston block is provided inside the compression chamber, the piston block is connected to the bottom of the compression chamber through an elastic element, and the piston block moves in and out of the compression chamber according to the pressure change of the water flow chamber inside the water meter pipe section.

[0007] The aforementioned water meter structure with antifreeze function includes a compression chamber and a piston block within the water meter pipe section. When water inside the pipe section freezes, the internal water expands as it turns to ice, gradually increasing the pressure. When the pressure is sufficient to move the piston block, the rising pressure inside the pipe section compresses the elastic element through the piston block, causing it to slide outward and increasing the expansion space of the ice within the pipe section. This gradually releases the pressure from the frozen water, preventing damage to the transducer, reflector, and other components of the pipe section during freezing, thus ensuring the water meter's metering performance is not affected. As the temperature rises, the ice inside the pipe section begins to melt, and the pressure caused by the expansion of the ice gradually disappears. The piston block and elastic element slowly return to their original positions, ensuring that the water meter's metering accuracy remains unaffected after the ice melts.

[0008] In some embodiments, the bottom of the piston block is fixedly provided with a plurality of bosses protruding toward the bottom of the compression chamber, and the elastic element is a compression spring, each compression spring being respectively fitted around the outer periphery of the boss.

[0009] The protrusion on the piston block serves two purposes: first, it positions and compresses the spring; second, it limits the maximum compression of the spring. Under extreme pressure testing or excessive water pressure (due to water hammer), the protrusion on the piston block reaches the bottom of the compression chamber, and the spring will no longer compress and deform. This protects the compression spring from its limit stroke and prevents it from losing its elasticity.

[0010] In some embodiments, a limiting step is provided at the upper end of the compression chamber, and an outwardly protruding flange is provided on the outer periphery of the piston block. The flange can be locked on the limiting step to prevent the piston block from detaching upward. A sealing plate is also provided at the bottom of the piston block, and a first sealing ring is provided between the sealing plate and the piston block. The sealing plate is provided with a through hole to facilitate the protrusion to pass through. One end of the compression spring rests against the bottom of the compression chamber, and the other end rests against the bottom of the sealing plate.

[0011] The compression spring must be under a certain amount of compression to hold the sealing plate in place, thereby compressing the first sealing ring and ensuring the seal between the piston block and the compression chamber. To facilitate the installation of the first sealing ring, a chamfered groove is also provided on the outer circumference of the bottom of the piston block.

[0012] In some embodiments, the bosses are cylindrical, number three, and integrally formed on the piston block, and the number of compression springs is also three.

[0013] In some embodiments, the inner wall of the water flow cavity is circular, and the water flow contact surface of the piston block is an arc-shaped structure corresponding to the inner wall of the water flow cavity.

[0014] The piston block has an arc-shaped structure with the same dimensions as the inner wall of the water flow chamber. When the water meter is running normally, it does not affect the water flow and is less likely to generate air bubbles, thus ensuring more stable water meter accuracy.

[0015] In some embodiments, the water meter pipe section is provided with a downwardly protruding compression pipe body, and the compression cavity is formed inside the compression pipe body.

[0016] In some embodiments, the lower end of the compression chamber is open, and a compression cover plate is detachably connected to the lower end of the compression chamber, the compression cover plate forming the bottom of the compression chamber.

[0017] In some embodiments, the compression cover plate is connected to the compression tube body by screws.

[0018] This application also provides an ultrasonic water meter having the above-mentioned antifreeze water meter structure, characterized in that: a reflector and a transducer are further provided in the water flow chamber of the water meter pipe section.

[0019] In some embodiments, the reflector is located above the compression chamber, and the transducer is located above the reflector. The piston block and transducer are separate and do not contact each other, so that the movement of the piston block does not interfere with the transducer, thereby improving the measurement accuracy of the water meter.

[0020] As can be seen from the above technical solution, this application has at least the following advantages and positive effects:

[0021] 1. The compression chamber of this application has a large effective compression space, which can completely release the expansion pressure generated during freezing, preventing damage to the ultrasonic water meter transducer, reflector and other components of the pipe section during freezing.

[0022] 2. The sealing performance of the compression chamber in this application meets the relevant technical requirements of water meters.

[0023] 3. The piston structure of this application can ensure that the water meter has the maximum compression buffer space when it is frozen, and at the same time, it can protect the compression spring from the limit stroke under extreme pressure test or excessive water flow pressure (water hammer effect), so that the spring will not fail.

[0024] 5. The antifreeze structure of this application does not interfere with or affect metering components such as transducers and reflectors.

[0025] 6. The piston block in this application has an arc-shaped structure with the same dimensions as the internal pipe wall of the ultrasonic water meter. When the water meter is running normally, it does not affect the water flow and is less likely to generate air bubbles, thus ensuring more stable water meter accuracy. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 3 This is an internal structure diagram of an embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 4 This is an exploded view of an embodiment of this application;

[0030] Figure 5 This application provides a schematic diagram of the piston block structure in an embodiment.

[0031] Labeling Explanation: 1. Water meter pipe section; 11. Water flow chamber; 12. Compression chamber; 13. Limiting step; 14. Compression pipe body; 2. Piston block; 21. Boss; 22. Flange; 23. Arc-shaped structure; 24. Chamfered groove; 3. Compression spring; 4. Sealing plate; 41. Through hole; 5. First sealing ring; 6. Compression cover plate; 7. Screw; 8. Reflector; 9. Transducer. Detailed Implementation

[0032] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the application will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The terminology used in the embodiments section of this application is only for explaining specific embodiments and is not intended to limit the application.

[0033] See Figures 1 to 5 This application provides an ultrasonic water meter with antifreeze function. The water meter includes a water meter pipe section 1, a water flow chamber 11 is provided inside the water meter pipe section 1, a reflector 8 and a transducer 9 are provided inside the water flow chamber 11, a compression chamber 12 is provided around the water flow chamber 11 and communicates with it, a piston block 2 is provided inside the compression chamber 12, the piston block 2 is connected to the bottom of the compression chamber 12 through an elastic element, and the piston block 2 moves in and out of the compression chamber 12 according to the pressure change of the water flow chamber 11 inside the water meter pipe section 1.

[0034] The bottom of the piston block 2 is fixedly provided with multiple protrusions 21 protruding towards the bottom of the compression chamber 12, and the elastic element is a compression spring 3, with each compression spring 3 respectively fitted around the outer periphery of the protrusion 21.

[0035] The protrusion 21 of the piston block 2 serves two purposes: firstly, it positions and compresses the spring 3; secondly, it limits the maximum compression of the spring. When the water meter is under extreme pressure testing or when the water flow pressure is too high (due to water hammer), the protrusion 21 of the piston block 2 will reach the bottom of the compression chamber 12, and the spring will no longer continue to compress and deform. This protects the compression spring 3 from its limit stroke and prevents the spring from losing its elasticity.

[0036] The upper end of the compression chamber 12 is provided with a limiting step 13, and the outer periphery of the piston block 2 is provided with an outwardly protruding flange 22. The flange 22 can be locked on the limiting step 13 to prevent the piston block 2 from detaching upward. The bottom of the piston block 2 is also provided with a sealing pressure plate 4. A first sealing ring 5 is provided between the sealing pressure plate 4 and the piston block 2. The sealing pressure plate 4 is provided with a through hole 41 to facilitate the protrusion 21 to pass through. One end of the compression spring 3 is pressed against the bottom of the compression chamber 12, and the other end is pressed against the bottom of the sealing pressure plate 4.

[0037] The compression spring 3 must be under a certain amount of compression to hold the sealing plate 4 in place, thereby compressing the first sealing ring 5 to ensure the seal between the piston block 2 and the compression chamber 12. To facilitate the installation of the first sealing ring 5, a chamfered groove 24 is also provided on the outer periphery of the bottom of the piston block 2.

[0038] The boss 21 is cylindrical and there are three of them, which are integrally formed on the piston block 2. There are also three compression springs 3.

[0039] The inner wall of the water flow chamber 11 is circular, and the water flow contact surface of the piston block 2 is an arc-shaped structure 23 corresponding to the inner wall of the water flow chamber 11.

[0040] The surface of the piston block 2 adopts an arc-shaped structure 23 with the same size as the inner wall of the water flow chamber 11. When the water meter is running normally, it does not affect the water flow and is not easy to generate air bubbles, thus ensuring that the water meter accuracy is more stable.

[0041] A downwardly protruding compression pipe body 14 is provided on the water meter pipe section 1, and a compression chamber 12 is formed inside the compression pipe body 14.

[0042] The lower end of the compression chamber 12 is open, and a compression cover plate 6 is detachably connected to the lower end of the compression chamber 12, forming the bottom of the compression chamber 12.

[0043] The compression cover plate 6 is connected to the compression tube body 14 by screws 7.

[0044] The reflector 8 is located above the compression chamber 12, and the transducer 9 is located above the reflector 8. The piston block 2 and the transducer 9 are set separately and do not contact each other. This way, the movement of the piston block 2 will not interfere with the transducer 9, thereby improving the measurement accuracy of the water meter.

[0045] The following is a brief description of the working process and usage method of a water meter structure with antifreeze function according to the above embodiments:

[0046] When water inside the water meter pipe section 1 of the ultrasonic water meter freezes, the internal water expands as it turns to ice, and the pressure gradually increases. When the pressure is high enough to push the piston block 2 to move, the rising pressure inside the water meter pipe section 1 begins to compress the spring 3 through the piston block 2. The piston block 2 drives the first sealing ring 5 and the sealing pressure plate 4 to slide outward synchronously, thereby increasing the expansion space of the ice inside the water meter pipe section 1. This gradually releases the pressure of the water turning into ice, thus preventing the ultrasonic water meter transducer 9, reflector 8, and other components of the pipe section from being damaged when frozen, which would affect the water meter's metering performance. As the temperature rises, the ice inside the water meter pipe section 1 begins to melt into water. Subsequently, the pressure caused by the expansion of the water volume as it turns into ice will gradually disappear, and the piston block 2 and compression spring 3 will slowly return to their original positions, thus ensuring that the water meter's metering accuracy is not affected after the ice melts. When the water meter is subjected to extreme pressure testing or excessive water flow pressure (due to water hammer), this antifreeze structure can still buffer most of the pressure to protect the water meter from damage. When the end faces of the three cylindrical protrusions 21 designed for the piston block 2 reach the compression cover plate 6, the spring will no longer continue to compress and deform (reaching the limit of compression). Therefore, this structure can also protect the compression spring 3 from the limit of its stroke, preventing the compression spring 3 from losing its elasticity.

[0047] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and are not intended to limit them; although the embodiments of this application have been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or make equivalent substitutions for some or all of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A water meter structure with antifreeze function, characterized in that: The device includes a water meter pipe section, which has a water flow chamber. A compression chamber communicating with the water flow chamber is located around the water flow chamber. A piston block is located in the compression chamber. The piston block is connected to the bottom of the compression chamber through an elastic element. The piston block moves in and out of the compression chamber according to the pressure change of the water flow chamber inside the water meter pipe section.

2. The water meter structure with antifreeze function according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom of the piston block is fixedly provided with multiple protrusions protruding towards the bottom of the compression chamber, and the elastic element is a compression spring, with each compression spring respectively fitted around the outer periphery of the protrusion.

3. The water meter structure with antifreeze function according to claim 2, characterized in that: The upper end of the compression chamber is provided with a limiting step, and the outer periphery of the piston block is provided with an outwardly protruding flange. The flange can be locked on the limiting step to prevent the piston block from detaching upward. The bottom of the piston block is also provided with a sealing plate, and a first sealing ring is provided between the sealing plate and the piston block. The sealing plate is provided with a through hole to facilitate the protrusion to pass through. One end of the compression spring rests on the bottom of the compression chamber, and the other end rests on the bottom of the sealing plate.

4. The water meter structure with antifreeze function according to claim 2, characterized in that: The boss is cylindrical, there are three of them, and they are integrally formed on the piston block. The number of compression springs is also three.

5. The water meter structure with antifreeze function according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner wall of the water flow chamber is circular, and the water flow contact surface of the piston block is an arc-shaped structure corresponding to the inner wall of the water flow chamber.

6. The water meter structure with antifreeze function according to claim 1, characterized in that: The water meter pipe section is provided with a downwardly protruding compression pipe body, and the compression cavity is formed inside the compression pipe body.

7. The water meter structure with antifreeze function according to claim 6, characterized in that: The lower end of the compression chamber is open, and a compression cover plate is detachably connected to the lower end of the compression chamber, forming the bottom of the compression chamber.

8. The water meter structure with antifreeze function according to claim 7, characterized in that: The compression cover plate and the compression tube are connected by screws.

9. An ultrasonic water meter, having the antifreeze water meter structure as described in any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that: The water flow chamber of the water meter pipe section is also equipped with a reflector and a transducer.

10. An ultrasonic water meter according to claim 9, characterized in that: The reflector is located above the compression chamber, and the transducer is located above the reflector.

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