A multi-transducer integrated measurement assembly and a multi-path fluid measurement system

Abstract

The utility model relates to ultrasonic water meter manufacturing technical field especially a kind of multi-transducer integrated measurement assembly and multi-acoustic-path fluid measuring system.The multi-transducer integrated measurement assembly includes carrier and multiple transducers, and transducer is fixed with carrier as basis.Carrier is injection molded part, and transducer can be pre-placed in injection mold cavity molding;Or carrier is equipped with multiple installation cavities, cooperate pressing plate and locking unit to fix transducer, limit its radial and axial displacement degree of freedom.In this way, on the one hand, the same carrier carries multiple transducers simultaneously, integrated design greatly saves space, breaks the limit of traditional dispersed layout;On the other hand, transducer is fixed with carrier as unified reference, reduces the cumulative error when installing, guarantees the accuracy of acoustic path;In addition, transducer is asymmetrically distributed, when multiple assemblies measure together, the formed fluid channel is staggered and projection is not overlapped, avoids the interference between acoustic path, is conducive to eliminating data redundancy and other problems.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of ultrasonic water meter manufacturing technology, and in particular to a multi-transducer integrated measurement component and a multi-channel fluid measurement system. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of ultrasonic measurement technology, the transducer is the core component for realizing flow measurement, and its installation accuracy and layout rationality directly affect the measurement accuracy and stability of the measurement system.

[0003] In existing technologies, ultrasonic water meters typically employ a single, independent installation mode for their transducers. This means that one carrier carries only one transducer, and the transducer is positioned on the measuring pipe section through a separate fixing structure. This approach presents several limitations in practical applications: 1) When water meters require multi-path measurement to improve metering accuracy (especially in low-flow or complex flow field environments), multiple independent carriers and transducer combinations must be distributed across the measuring pipe section. This results in a cumbersome assembly process, and the relative positional accuracy between transducers is difficult to guarantee. Furthermore, due to the cumulative error in the installation reference of each carrier, problems such as transducer acoustic path angle deviation and inconsistent spacing can easily occur, directly affecting the stability of the ultrasonic signal propagation path and thus reducing metering accuracy. 2) Independently installed carriers and transducer combinations are difficult to design compactly, increasing the overall size of the water meter and limiting the optimization space for multi-path measurement systems. 3) When multiple transducers are needed to coordinate measurements to cover more complex flow fields, traditional structures are prone to problems such as overlapping acoustic path projections and fluid channel interference, leading to redundant or biased measurement data and failing to fully leverage the advantages of multi-path measurement. Therefore, it is urgent for technical personnel to solve the above problems. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a multi-transducer integrated measurement component, which aims to solve the problems of complex installation, insufficient accuracy, and limited layout caused by the carrier only carrying a single transducer in the existing design.

[0005] This utility model relates to a multi-transducer integrated measurement component, including a carrier and N transducers, where N≥2; all transducers are fixed on the carrier as a base.

[0006] The carrier is an injection molded part, and the transducer is pre-placed in the injection mold cavity before its actual injection molding;

[0007] Alternatively, the multi-transducer integrated measurement assembly also includes a pressure plate and a locking unit; the carrier is simultaneously formed with N mounting cavities for accommodating the transducers and restricting the radial displacement freedom of the transducers; the pressure plate is located on the opening side of the mounting cavity and abuts against the measuring end of each transducer; the locking unit connects the pressure plate and the carrier and restricts the axial displacement freedom of each transducer by applying a locking force.

[0008] As a further improvement to the technical solution disclosed in this utility model, each transducer is asymmetrically distributed about the geometric center of the carrier; and when multiple sets of multi-transducer integrated measurement components work together to measure the same object, the fluid measurement channel formed is in a staggered state and the projection has no overlapping area.

[0009] As a further improvement to the technical solution disclosed in this utility model, when N=2, the multi-transducer integrated measurement component forms an overall package structure including 1 carrier and 2 transducers; when N=4, the multi-transducer integrated measurement component forms an overall package structure including 1 carrier and 4 transducers.

[0010] As a further improvement to the technical solution disclosed in this utility model, the outer side wall of the carrier is provided with at least one positioning ear; the positioning ear extends along the axial direction of the carrier and is formed with a positioning contour surface.

[0011] As a further improvement to the technical solution disclosed in this utility model, the injection molding raw material is modified plastic, and reinforcing fibers are added thereto.

[0012] As a further improvement to the technical solution disclosed in this utility model, a positioning structure is provided in the injection mold cavity. With the help of the positioning structure, the positional deviation of the transducer in the injection mold cavity does not exceed 0.05mm.

[0013] As a further improvement to the technical solution disclosed in this utility model, the pressure plate is formed with N clearance through holes; after the multi-transducer integrated measurement assembly is assembled, the measuring end of the transducer is fully exposed, and an annular gap of 0.1 to 0.3 mm is formed between the hole wall of the clearance through hole and the outer peripheral wall of the measuring end of the transducer.

[0014] As a further improvement of the technical solution disclosed in this utility model, the locking unit includes multiple screws; the carrier has corresponding threaded holes; the pressure plate has a locking through hole adapted to the threaded holes; the screws pass through the locking through hole and are threadedly connected to the threaded holes, so that the pressure plate can be fixed to the carrier.

[0015] As a further improvement to the technical solution disclosed in this utility model, it also includes N sealing rings; the sealing rings are placed one-to-one at the bottom of the mounting cavity; when the locking unit applies a locking force, the sealing rings are elastically pressed against the bottom wall of the transducer and the bottom wall of the mounting cavity to form an axial seal.

[0016] A multi-path fluid measurement system is characterized in that the multi-transducer integrated measurement component includes a measurement pipe section and M multi-transducer integrated measurement components, where M≥2; the measurement pipe section and the multi-transducer integrated measurement components are adapted and connected to form a fluid measurement channel; the M multi-transducer integrated measurement components are arranged collaboratively along the axial direction or circumferential direction of the measurement pipe section, and the fluid measurement channel formed is in a staggered state, and the measurement paths of N×M transducers are distributed in a non-overlapping state within the fluid measurement channel.

[0017] Regarding the topic of multi-transducer integrated measurement components, their practical applications can achieve at least the following beneficial technical effects, specifically:

[0018] 1) The same carrier can simultaneously carry multiple transducers, and the integrated design significantly reduces the overall space occupied by the measurement components, achieving a highly compact structure. This not only effectively reduces the space required for installation but also breaks the spatial limitations of traditional distributed layouts on multi-channel measurement systems, providing more flexible design options for multi-channel measurement solutions to better adapt to installation requirements in different scenarios;

[0019] 2) Multiple transducers are fixed on the same carrier. Whether the transducers are pre-placed in the mold cavity to form an integrated structure by injection molding, or fixed by the cooperation of mounting cavity, pressure plate and locking unit, the carrier can be used as a unified reference to accurately position each transducer. This fundamentally reduces the cumulative error of the mounting reference and ensures that the acoustic path angle and spacing of the transducers are controlled within a more precise range, so that the propagation path of the ultrasonic signal remains stable.

[0020] 3) Each transducer is asymmetrically distributed about the geometric center of the carrier. When multiple groups of components work together to measure the same object, the fluid measurement channels formed are in a staggered state and the projections have no overlapping areas. In this way, the acoustic interference problem that is prone to occur in traditional multi-path measurement is avoided from the root, ensuring that the measurement data collected by each transducer is independent and effective, eliminating data redundancy or deviation, and allowing the advantages of multi-path measurement in improving data integrity and accuracy to be fully utilized.

[0021] Regarding the topic of multi-path fluid measurement systems, their practical applications can achieve at least the following beneficial technical effects: Based on the staggered fluid measurement channel design, the measurement paths formed by multiple transducers are distributed in a non-overlapping state within the channel. This, on the one hand, broadens the coverage of fluid measurement, enhances the ability to accurately capture complex flow fields, and more comprehensively reflects the fluid's flow state; on the other hand, it eliminates signal interference and data redundancy problems caused by overlapping measurement paths at the source, ensuring that the information collected by each transducer is independent and valid, thereby significantly improving the accuracy and reliability of flow measurement. Attached Figure Description

[0022] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0023] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the first embodiment of the multi-transducer integrated measurement component disclosed in this utility model.

[0024] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the first embodiment of the multi-transducer integrated measurement component disclosed in this utility model.

[0025] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a vehicle from one perspective in the first embodiment of the multi-transducer integrated measurement component disclosed in this utility model.

[0026] Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the vehicle from another perspective in the first embodiment of the multi-transducer integrated measurement component disclosed in this utility model.

[0027] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the pressure plate in the first embodiment of the multi-transducer integrated measurement component disclosed in this utility model.

[0028] Figure 6 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the second embodiment of the multi-transducer integrated measurement component disclosed in this utility model.

[0029] Figure 7 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the third embodiment of the multi-transducer integrated measurement component disclosed in this utility model.

[0030] Figure 8 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the fourth embodiment of the multi-transducer integrated measurement component disclosed in this utility model.

[0031] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the layout of the first embodiment of the multi-channel fluid measurement system disclosed in this utility model.

[0032] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the layout of the second embodiment of the multi-channel fluid measurement system disclosed in this utility model.

[0033] 1-Carrier; 11-Wire passage; 12-Mounting cavity; 13-Positioning ear; 131-Positioning contour surface; 14-Threaded hole; 2-Transducer; 3-Pressure plate; 31-Allowing through hole; 32-Locking through hole; 4-Locking unit; 41-Screw; 5-Sealing ring. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments. Figure 1 , Figure 2 Based on the three-dimensional schematic diagram and exploded schematic diagram of the first embodiment of the multi-transducer integrated measurement component disclosed in this utility model, it can be seen that a modular architecture is adopted, which includes several parts such as a carrier 1, two transducers 2, a pressure plate 3, a locking unit 4, and a sealing ring 5, forming a "one-support-two" structure. The transducers 2 are all fixed to the carrier 1. The carrier 1 is made of modified plastic containing reinforcing fibers, injection molded or machined, and has a wire-passing channel 11 for wires to pass through, as well as two mounting cavities 12 (e.g., ...). Figure 3 , Figure 4 (As shown in the diagram). The mounting cavity 12 is used to accommodate the transducer 2 and restrict the radial displacement degree of freedom of the transducer 2. The pressure plate 3 is located on the open side of the mounting cavity 12 and abuts against the measuring end of each transducer 2. The locking unit 4 connects the pressure plate 3 and the carrier 1 and restricts the axial displacement degree of freedom of each transducer 2 by applying a locking force.

[0035] The inner wall of the mounting cavity 12 is machined with high precision and has a smooth surface, fitting tightly against the outer wall of the transducer 2. This ensures that the transducer 2 will not experience radial loosening or displacement during operation, providing a reliable structural foundation for the stable propagation of ultrasonic signals. Furthermore, each mounting cavity 12 has a pre-drilled groove at its bottom for placing the sealing ring 5, and the size of the groove matches the sealing ring 5, allowing the sealing ring 5 to be accurately installed in place.

[0036] By adopting the above-mentioned technical solution, on the one hand, the same carrier 1 simultaneously carries two transducers 2, and the integrated design significantly reduces the overall space occupied by the transducer integrated measurement components, achieving a highly compact design structure. This not only effectively reduces the space required for installation but also breaks the spatial limitations of traditional distributed layouts on multi-path measurement systems, providing more flexible space for the optimized design of multi-path measurement schemes and better adapting to installation requirements in different scenarios. On the other hand, multiple transducers 2 are all fixed on the same carrier 1 and secured through the cooperation of the mounting cavity 12, pressure plate 3, and locking unit 4. All transducers 2 can be accurately positioned using the carrier 1 as a unified reference, thereby fundamentally and significantly reducing the cumulative error of the installation reference. This ensures that the acoustic path angle and spacing of each transducer 2 are controlled within a more precise range, maintaining a stable propagation path for the ultrasonic signal.

[0037] Depend on Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, each transducer 2 is asymmetrically distributed about the geometric center of the carrier 1, meaning that the distances from the two transducers 2 to the geometric center of the carrier 1 differ, forming an eccentric layout. When multiple sets of these multi-transducer integrated measurement components form a multi-path fluid measurement system, the fluid measurement channels formed when measuring the same object are in a staggered state, and the projections of each channel have no overlapping areas. The reason is that the eccentric distribution characteristics of the transducers 2 in each set of components cause the measurement channels formed by each set of transducers 2 to form an axial or radial staggered layout in space when multiple sets of components work together, avoiding the overlap of sound paths on the projection plane, thereby effectively eliminating signal interference between different sound paths, ensuring that the measurement data collected by each channel is independent and valid, and facilitating the full utilization of the precise metrological advantages of multi-path measurement in complex flow field environments.

[0038] Depend on Figure 3 , Figure 4 As shown, the outer wall of the carrier 1 is integrally formed with two positioning ears 13, which are distributed in opposite directions. The positioning ears 13 extend along the axial direction of the carrier 1 and are formed with an arc-shaped positioning contour surface 131. The positioning contour surface 131 serves as a reference surface for the installation of the carrier 1 and can be precisely fitted with the corresponding positioning structure on the measuring pipe section. The precise positioning of the carrier 1 can be quickly achieved through surface contact, thereby effectively ensuring the installation position accuracy of the carrier 1 and the transducers 2 installed on it in the measuring pipe section. This provides a reliable structural foundation for forming a precise staggered fluid measurement channel when multiple components work together.

[0039] like Figure 5 As shown, the pressure plate 3 has two clearance holes 31, whose positions correspond one-to-one with the mounting cavity 12 of the carrier 1. After the multi-transducer integrated measurement assembly is assembled, the measuring end of the transducer 2 is fully exposed through the clearance holes 31, ensuring that ultrasonic signals can be transmitted and received without obstruction. Crucially, a 0.1–0.3 mm annular gap is formed between the wall of the clearance hole 31 and the outer peripheral wall of the measuring end of the transducer 2. This reserved space can accommodate the slight thermal expansion and contraction of the transducer 2 due to temperature changes during operation, preventing deformation or damage to the measuring end caused by rigid contact.

[0040] like Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 5As shown, the locking unit 4 is composed of multiple screws 41, which achieve a rigid connection between the pressure plate 3 and the carrier 1 through mechanical locking. Correspondingly, the pressure plate 3 has locking through holes 32 that correspond one-to-one with the number and position of the screws 41; the carrier 1 has corresponding threaded holes 14 with thread specifications matching the screws 41, achieving detachable fixing through thread engagement. When the screws 41 pass through the locking through holes 32 and are screwed into the threaded holes 14, the pressure plate 3 is gradually pressed against the carrier 1 as the screws are tightened, thereby transmitting the axial locking force to the transducer 2, forming a stable axial constraint, and ensuring that the transducer will not undergo axial displacement due to fluid impact or vibration during operation.

[0041] Figure 6 A perspective view of the second embodiment of the multi-transducer integrated measurement component disclosed in this utility model is shown. It can be seen that the difference between this embodiment and the first embodiment lies in the way the transducer 2 and the carrier 1 are combined. Specifically, the carrier 1 is an injection-molded part, made of modified plastic containing reinforcing fibers, and injection-molded in one step using a mold. Before the actual injection molding, the transducer 2 is precisely placed in the cavity of the injection mold and fixed by positioning structures within the mold (such as positioning pins and slots) to ensure that its positional deviation does not exceed 0.05 mm. During the injection molding process, the molten plastic material wraps around the outer peripheral wall of the transducer 2 (the measuring end is exposed). After the material cools and solidifies, the transducer 2 and the carrier 1 form an inseparable integral structure. In this way, the pressure plate 3, locking unit 4 and sealing ring 5 of the first embodiment are eliminated. The radial and axial displacement of the transducer 2 is directly restricted by the injection molding combination of the carrier 1 and the transducer 2. This not only simplifies the multi-transducer integrated measurement component, but also ensures the relative position accuracy between the transducers 2 through the high-precision positioning of the injection mold. At the same time, the plastic encapsulation naturally forms a seal, further improving the impact resistance and sealing performance of the multi-transducer integrated measurement component.

[0042] Figure 9 The diagram shows a layout schematic of the first embodiment of the multi-channel fluid measurement system disclosed in this utility model. It can be seen that four sets of multi-transducer integrated measurement components (one-to-two structure) are installed in a preset layout to fit the measurement pipe section, forming a complete fluid measurement channel. The four multi-transducer integrated measurement components are arranged collaboratively along the axial direction of the measurement pipe section. Because the transducers 2 of each multi-transducer integrated measurement component are asymmetrically distributed about the geometric center of the carrier 1, the formed fluid measurement channel naturally exhibits a staggered state. Simultaneously, the measurement paths of the eight sets of transducers are distributed in a non-overlapping state within the fluid measurement channel, thereby avoiding mutual interference between acoustic paths in actual measurement. This allows for comprehensive capture of the fluid state at different locations within the pipe section, significantly improving the adaptability and measurement accuracy of the multi-channel fluid measurement system to complex flow fields.

[0043] Figure 7 , Figure 8 The three-dimensional schematic diagrams of the third and fourth embodiments of the multi-transducer integrated measurement component disclosed in this utility model are shown respectively. It can be seen that the difference between them and the first and second embodiments is that they are all "one-to-four" structures, with the four transducers arranged in a linear array along the length of the carrier 1. Through the unified reference of the carrier 1, the relative position accuracy of the four transducers is strictly controlled within a preset range, avoiding the cumulative error of traditional decentralized installation.

[0044] The carrier 1 can also be injection molded (modified plastic with reinforcing fibers) or machined. The third embodiment adopts a similar mounting cavity 12 + pressure plate 3 locking structure to the first embodiment, and the fourth embodiment adopts a similar injection molded integrated structure to the second embodiment, ensuring that each transducer 2 can be stably fixed, providing richer signal acquisition dimensions for multi-path measurement, and further improving the coverage of complex flow fields.

[0045] Figure 10 The diagram shows a layout schematic of a second embodiment of the multi-channel fluid measurement system disclosed in this utility model. It includes a measurement pipe section (not shown) and two sets of multi-transducer integrated measurement components (one-to-four configuration). The eight sets of transducers 2 are arranged in a coordinated, staggered layer along the radial direction of the measurement pipe section, ensuring that each fluid measurement path extends non-overlapping within the fluid measurement channel. This not only provides comprehensive coverage of the fluid flow field within the pipe section, accurately capturing fluid data at different locations and velocity levels, but also avoids mutual interference between acoustic paths, significantly improving the accuracy and reliability of measurements under complex fluid conditions (such as impurities or unstable flow rates). Furthermore, this multi-channel fluid measurement system is suitable for large-diameter, high-precision fluid metering scenarios, laying a solid hardware foundation for applications such as multi-channel ultrasonic flow measurement.

[0046] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to make or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A multi-transducer integrated measurement component, characterized in that, It includes a vehicle and N transducers, where N≥2; all transducers are fixed to the vehicle. The carrier is an injection molded part, and the transducer is pre-placed in the injection mold cavity before its formal injection molding; Alternatively, it may also include a pressure plate and a locking unit; the carrier is simultaneously formed with N mounting cavities for accommodating the transducers and restricting the radial displacement degrees of freedom of the transducers; the pressure plate is located on the opening side of the mounting cavity and abuts against the measuring end of each transducer; the locking unit connects the pressure plate and the carrier and restricts the axial displacement degrees of freedom of each transducer by applying a locking force.

2. The multi-transducer integrated measurement assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the transducers is asymmetrically distributed about the geometric center of the carrier; and when multiple sets of multi-transducer integrated measurement components work together to measure the same object, the fluid measurement channels formed are in a staggered state and the projections have no overlapping areas.

3. The multi-transducer integrated measurement assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, When N=2, the multi-transducer integrated measurement assembly forms an overall package structure including one of the carriers and two of the transducers; when N=4, the multi-transducer integrated measurement assembly forms an overall package structure including one of the carriers and four of the transducers.

4. The multi-transducer integrated measurement assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer side wall of the vehicle is provided with at least one positioning ear; the positioning ear extends along the axial direction of the vehicle and is formed with a positioning contour surface.

5. The multi-transducer integrated measurement assembly according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The injection molding material is modified plastic, which contains reinforcing fibers.

6. The multi-transducer integrated measurement assembly according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The injection mold cavity is provided with a positioning structure; with the help of the positioning structure, the positional deviation of the transducer in the injection mold cavity does not exceed 0.05mm.

7. The multi-transducer integrated measurement assembly according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The pressure plate is formed with N clearance through holes; after the multi-transducer integrated measurement assembly is assembled, the measuring end of the transducer is fully exposed, and an annular gap of 0.1 to 0.3 mm is formed between the hole wall of the clearance through hole and the outer peripheral wall of the measuring end of the transducer.

8. The multi-transducer integrated measurement assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that, The locking unit includes multiple screws; the carrier has corresponding threaded holes; the pressure plate has locking through holes that are adapted to the threaded holes; the screws pass through the locking through holes and are threadedly connected to the threaded holes, so that the pressure plate is fixed to the carrier.

9. The multi-transducer integrated measurement assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that, It also includes N sealing rings; the sealing rings are placed one-to-one at the bottom of the mounting cavity; when the locking unit applies a locking force, the sealing rings are elastically pressed against the bottom wall of the transducer and the bottom wall of the mounting cavity to form an axial seal.

10. A multi-path fluid measurement system, characterized in that, It includes a measuring pipe section and M multi-transducer integrated measuring components as described in any one of claims 1-4, where M ≥ 2; the measuring pipe section is adapted and connected to the multi-transducer integrated measuring components to jointly form a fluid measuring channel; M multi-transducer integrated measurement components are arranged collaboratively along the axial or circumferential direction of the measurement pipe section, and the fluid measurement channel formed is in a staggered state. The measurement paths of N×M transducers are distributed in a non-overlapping state within the fluid measurement channel.

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