A new type of injection molded water meter housing and water meter

Abstract

The utility model provides a novel injection molding water meter watch case and water meter. Water meter watch case includes first cylindrical wall, bottom wall, second cylindrical wall, water inlet pipe and water outlet pipe. Second cylindrical wall is contained in the inside space of first cylindrical wall and the lower axial end surface of second cylindrical wall is connected to bottom wall fluidly and tightly, the axial dimension of second cylindrical wall is less than the axial dimension of first cylindrical wall, the inner periphery of second cylindrical wall and bottom wall both jointly enclose the inner ring water inlet cavity, the outer periphery of second cylindrical wall, first cylindrical wall and bottom wall jointly enclose the outer ring water outlet cavity. Water inlet pipe directly guides fluid into inner ring water inlet cavity. Water outlet pipe guides fluid out of outer ring water outlet cavity. The water inlet of water inlet pipe and the water outlet of water outlet pipe are located in the same axial height range. The water meter watch case with the above configuration can allow to simplify the configuration of water inlet pipe and water outlet pipe, thereby simplifying the production and processing of both, improving production efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to a housing, and more particularly to a water meter housing. Background Technology

[0002] This section provides background information related to the present invention, which does not necessarily constitute prior art.

[0003] A water meter is an instrument used to measure the flow rate of liquids. It mainly consists of a water meter casing and a water meter movement that is at least partially housed within the cavity of the water meter casing. The following description uses water as an example of the fluid being measured.

[0004] Figure 1 This illustrates the configuration of a water meter in the prior art. The water meter movement 200, after being inserted into the water meter housing 100, is typically supported by a stepped portion protruding from the inner peripheral wall of the water meter housing 100. Figure 1 (Not shown in the image). The water meter movement 200 and the stepped portion cooperate to divide the inner cavity of the water meter housing 100 into a lower inlet chamber and an upper outlet chamber. The water meter housing 100 includes an inlet pipe 4 and an outlet pipe 5. The inlet pipe 4 is in fluid communication with the lower inlet chamber, and the outlet pipe 5 is in fluid communication with the upper outlet chamber. Thus, the axial heights of the connection positions between the inlet pipe 4 and the outlet pipe 5 and the peripheral wall of the housing are different. When it is necessary to ensure that the inlet of the inlet pipe 4 and the outlet of the outlet pipe 5 are located within the same axial height range, and it is necessary to further ensure smooth water flow, at least one of the inlet pipe 4 and the outlet pipe 5 needs to be made into a special-shaped pipe. For example, the inlet pipe 4 and the outlet pipe 5 can be as follows: Figure 1 The tube shown is prepared as a tapered tube that gradually narrows from one end to the other, but it can also be prepared as a curved tube (not shown in this paper). The preparation process of irregularly shaped tubes is complex and requires high processing standards, which greatly reduces the production efficiency of the water meter housing 100 and increases the manufacturing cost of the water meter housing 100. The above problems need to be solved. Utility Model Content

[0005] One technical problem this invention aims to solve is to provide a novel water meter casing structure. Another technical problem this invention aims to solve is to optimize the configuration of the inlet and outlet pipes, thereby simplifying their manufacturing process. Yet another technical problem this invention aims to solve is to simplify mold design when using injection molding to produce water meter casings, making the product easier to demold, improving production efficiency, and reducing processing costs.

[0006] This utility model provides a water meter housing, designed to accommodate at least part of the water meter movement. The housing comprises a first cylindrical wall, a bottom wall, a second cylindrical wall, an inlet pipe, and an outlet pipe. The bottom wall is attached to the lower axial end face of the first cylindrical wall to close its lower open end. The second cylindrical wall is housed within the internal space of the first cylindrical wall, and its lower axial end face is fluid-tightly connected to the bottom wall. The axial dimension of the second cylindrical wall is smaller than that of the first cylindrical wall. The inner circumferential surface of the second cylindrical wall and the bottom wall together enclose an inner ring inlet cavity, while the outer circumferential surface of the second cylindrical wall, the first cylindrical wall, and the bottom wall together enclose an outer ring outlet cavity. The inlet pipe passes through the first and second cylindrical walls to directly guide fluid into the inner ring inlet cavity. The outlet pipe is connected to the region of the first cylindrical wall corresponding to the outer ring outlet cavity to guide fluid out of the outer ring outlet cavity, wherein the inlet of the inlet pipe and the outlet of the outlet pipe are located within the same axial height range.

[0007] The water meter casing with the above configuration provides a novel water meter casing structure that can be used with some commercially available water meter movements. This structure further allows both the inlet and outlet pipes to be manufactured as straight pipes extending radially. This greatly simplifies the manufacturing process of the inlet and outlet pipes, improves the production efficiency of the water meter casing, and reduces the processing cost of the water meter casing.

[0008] Preferably, the water meter casing is a single piece made of engineering plastic.

[0009] Preferably, the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe extend in a straight line along the same or different radial directions of the first cylindrical wall.

[0010] Preferably, both the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe extend with a constant inner diameter.

[0011] This design eliminates the undercuts in the inlet and outlet pipes, simplifies mold design, and makes the product easy to demold.

[0012] Preferably, both the first cylindrical wall and the second cylindrical wall are cylindrical and extend with a constant inner diameter.

[0013] This design also eliminates the undercuts in the structure of the first and second cylindrical walls, so that the injection mold does not require a slider or manual assembly of the mold core, simplifying the mold structure and making the product easy to demold.

[0014] Preferably, the second cylindrical wall is arranged coaxially with respect to the first cylindrical wall.

[0015] Preferably, a first step portion is provided on the upper axial end face of the second cylindrical wall, extending continuously in the circumference of the second cylindrical wall, the first step portion being designed to allow the water meter movement to sit on the first step portion.

[0016] This utility model also provides a water meter, which includes the above-mentioned water meter casing and a water meter movement housed within the water meter casing.

[0017] Preferably, the housing of the water meter movement is provided with a plurality of lower water inlets, a plurality of upper water outlets, and a second step portion located axially between the plurality of lower water inlets and the plurality of upper water outlets. The water meter movement is supported axially above the second cylindrical wall such that the second step portion sits on the first step portion, so that after the water meter movement and the water meter housing are assembled, the plurality of lower water inlets are located in the inner ring water inlet cavity.

[0018] Preferably, the water meter further includes an annular sealing ring, which is clamped between the first stepped portion and the second stepped portion.

[0019] By providing the aforementioned sealing ring, it is ensured that the water in the inner ring inlet chamber can only flow to the outer ring outlet chamber after entering the water meter movement, thereby reliably guaranteeing the measurement accuracy of the water meter. Attached Figure Description

[0020] The foregoing and other features and characteristics of this application will become clearer from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are merely illustrative and not necessarily drawn to scale. The same reference numerals are used in different drawings to indicate the same / similar parts, as follows:

[0021] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a water meter in the prior art is shown.

[0022] Figure 2 A perspective view of the water meter housing according to the present invention is shown.

[0023] Figure 3 It shows from Figure 2 The cross-sectional three-dimensional view is obtained by cutting line AA.

[0024] Figure 4 An exploded view of the water meter mechanism and the water meter casing is shown.

[0025] Figure 5 A schematic diagram is shown after the water meter movement is assembled into the water meter casing.

[0026] List of reference numerals in the attached figures: 100. Water meter casing; 1. First cylindrical wall; 11. First upper shaft end face; 2. Second cylindrical wall; 21. Second upper shaft end face; 22. First stepped portion; 3. Bottom wall; 4. Inlet pipe; 5. Outlet pipe; C1. Inner ring inlet cavity; C2. Outer ring outlet cavity; 200. Water meter movement; 6. Movement casing; 61. Second stepped portion; 62. Lower inlet hole; 63. Upper outlet hole; 7. Annular sealing ring; L1. First axis; R. Radial direction. Detailed Implementation

[0027] Now we will combine Figures 2 to 4 The preferred embodiments of this utility model will be described in detail below. The following description is exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the utility model or its application or use.

[0028] Certain directional terms used herein should be understood to have their normal meaning and refer to those directions involved in the normal observation of the accompanying drawings, but not necessarily the orientation of the device in actual use. In particular, axial direction in this document refers to... Figure 2 The direction of extension of the first axis L1 indicated in the middle, radially refers to... Figure 2 The orientation is indicated by R, where the first axis L1 is the extension direction of the first cylindrical wall as described below, and R represents the various radial directions of the first cylindrical wall.

[0029] Specifically, the water meter includes a water meter casing and a water meter movement that can be housed within the internal space of the water meter casing. (See attached diagram.) Figure 2 and Figure 3 The specific structure of the water meter casing is shown separately. Figure 4 and Figure 5 The diagram shows the installation of the water meter movement and the water meter casing.

[0030] The following is a reference. Figure 2 and Figure 3 The configuration of the water meter housing 100 according to this utility model is described, wherein, Figure 2 The overall configuration of the water meter housing 100 as viewed from the outside is shown. Figure 3 It shows from Figure 2 A three-dimensional cross-sectional view of the water meter casing 100 cut at line AA.

[0031] The water meter housing 100 is configured to include a first cylindrical wall 1 and a bottom wall 3. The first cylindrical wall 1 extends along a first axis L1 and has a first upper shaft end face 11 and a first lower shaft end face that are axially opposite. The bottom wall 3 is fixedly connected to the first lower shaft end face from the axially downward side of the first cylindrical wall 1 to close the lower open end of the first cylindrical wall 1, thereby preventing water entering the first cylindrical wall 1 from flowing out from the lower open end of the first cylindrical wall 1.

[0032] The water meter housing 100 also includes a second cylindrical wall 2, which preferably also extends along the first axis L1 and has a second upper shaft end face 21 and a second lower shaft end face with opposite axial directions. The second cylindrical wall 2 is housed inside the first cylindrical wall 1 and is connected to the bottom wall 3 via the second lower shaft end face. The second lower shaft end face is connected to the bottom wall 3 in a fluid-tight manner to prevent water from flowing through the joint between the second lower shaft end face and the bottom wall 3.

[0033] Since the second cylindrical wall 2 needs to be housed within the first cylindrical wall 1, the radial dimension of the second cylindrical wall 2 is designed to be smaller than the radial dimension of the first cylindrical wall 1. Furthermore, the axial dimension of the second cylindrical wall 2 is also designed to be smaller than the axial dimension of the first cylindrical wall 1, so that the water meter movement 200, which will be detailed below, can be supported on the second cylindrical wall 2 after being housed within the water meter housing 100. Additionally, the first cylindrical wall 1 and the second cylindrical wall 2 are preferably cylindrical.

[0034] See also Figure 3 After the second cylindrical wall 2 is housed inside the first cylindrical wall 1 as described above, the second cylindrical wall 2 divides the area corresponding to the axial height of the second cylindrical wall 2 within the space enclosed by the first cylindrical wall 1 and the bottom wall 3 into two parts: an inner water inlet cavity C1 and an outer water outlet cavity C2. Specifically, the inner circumferential surface of the second cylindrical wall 2 and the bottom wall 3 together surround the aforementioned inner water inlet cavity C1. The outer circumferential surface of the second cylindrical wall 2, the first cylindrical wall 1, and the bottom wall 3 together surround the aforementioned outer water outlet cavity C2.

[0035] In addition, a first step portion 22 is provided on the second upper shaft end face 21 of the second cylindrical wall 2, which extends continuously along the circumference of the second cylindrical wall 2. The water meter movement 200, which will be described in detail below, will be supported on the first step portion 22 after being housed in the water meter case 100.

[0036] The water meter casing 100 also includes an inlet pipe 4 and an outlet pipe 5. For example... Figure 3 As shown, the inlet pipe 4 is designed to pass through the first cylindrical wall 1 and the second cylindrical wall 2 sequentially from the outside of the first cylindrical wall 1 in a direction perpendicular to the first axis L1, thereby enabling fluid communication between the inlet pipe 4 and the internal space of the second cylindrical wall 2, allowing water to be directly guided into the inner ring inlet cavity C1 via the inlet pipe 4. The outlet pipe 5 is designed to pass through only the first cylindrical wall 1 from the outside of the first cylindrical wall 1 in a direction perpendicular to the first axis L1, so as to be in fluid communication with the outer ring outlet cavity C2.

[0037] See below. Figure 4 and Figure 5 The working relationship between the water meter movement 200 and the water meter casing 100 is explained.

[0038] First, a brief introduction to the configuration of the water meter movement 200 is given. The water meter movement 200 has a movement housing 6. Multiple lower water inlets 62 and multiple upper water outlets 63 are provided on the movement housing 6. The multiple lower water inlets 62 are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the movement and are preferably positioned at the same axial height. Similarly, the multiple upper water outlets 63 are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the movement and are preferably positioned at the same axial height. The multiple upper water outlets 63 are positioned axially above the multiple lower water inlets 62. Water flows into the interior of the movement housing 6 through the lower water inlets 62 and then flows out of the interior of the movement housing 6 through the upper water outlets 63.

[0039] A second stepped portion 61, extending continuously along the circumference of the movement housing 6, is also provided on the movement housing 6. Axially, the second stepped portion 61 is positioned between a plurality of lower water inlets 62 and a plurality of upper water outlets 63. The second stepped portion 61 is shaped to mate with the shape of the aforementioned first stepped portion 22, allowing the first stepped portion 22 to sit on the second stepped portion 61, thereby enabling the water meter movement 200 to be supported axially above the second stepped portion 61 when housed within the water meter housing 100. See especially... Figure 5 After the water meter movement 200 and the water meter housing 100 are assembled, multiple lower water inlet holes 62 are inserted into the inner ring water inlet cavity C1 and are in fluid communication with the inner ring water inlet cavity C1. Multiple upper water outlet holes 61 are located axially above the inner ring water inlet cavity C1 and are in fluid communication with the outer ring water outlet cavity C2.

[0040] The water meter also includes an annular sealing ring 7. During the assembly of the water meter, the annular sealing ring 7 is clamped between the first step portion 22 and the second step portion 61 to prevent water from flowing through any gaps that may exist between the first step portion 22 and the second step portion 61.

[0041] See below. Figure 5 The water flow in the water meter according to this utility model is described. See also Figure 5 As indicated by the arrow, firstly, the water inlet pipe 4 guides water into the inner ring water inlet chamber C1. Next, the water flows from the inner ring water inlet chamber C1 into the water meter movement 200 through multiple lower water inlet holes 62 and further flows out of the water meter movement 200 through multiple upper water outlet holes 63. The water flowing out from the multiple upper water outlet holes 63 will flow downward into the outer ring water outlet chamber C2 and further be guided out of the water meter casing through the water outlet pipe 5.

[0042] As can be seen, by setting the above-mentioned annular sealing ring 7, it can be ensured that the water flowing into the inner ring water inlet cavity C1 must flow through the water meter movement 200 before entering the outer ring water outlet cavity C2. The water in the inner ring water inlet cavity C1 cannot flow directly to the outer ring water outlet cavity C2. This effectively prevents the water flow in the inner ring water inlet cavity C1 and the outer ring water outlet cavity C2 from interfering with each other, thereby reliably ensuring the measurement accuracy of the water meter.

[0043] The water meter housing 100 with the above configuration provides a novel housing structure that can achieve the same functions as water meter housings in the prior art, and can be directly used with some commercially available water meter movements.

[0044] Furthermore, by employing a water meter housing 100 with the above configuration, it is possible to configure the inlet pipe 4 and the outlet pipe 5 to extend radially along the first cylindrical wall 1 and in a straight line (i.e., to use straight pipes). Note here that the inlet pipe 4 and the outlet pipe 5 may extend in the same radial direction as shown in the attached figures, or they may extend in different radial directions.

[0045] In this application, since a second cylindrical wall 2 is further provided inside the first cylindrical wall 1, the portion of the internal space enclosed by the first cylindrical wall 1 and the bottom wall 3 corresponding to the height of the second cylindrical wall 2 is divided into two cavities: an inner ring water inlet cavity C1 and an outer ring water outlet cavity C2. Compared with the prior art, this application reduces the axial height of the water outlet cavity, so that the inner ring water inlet cavity C1 and the outer ring water outlet cavity C2 are within the same axial height range. This design allows the outlet of the water inlet pipe 4 leading to the inner ring water inlet cavity C1 and the inlet of the water outlet pipe 5 leading to the outer ring water outlet cavity C2 to also be within the same axial height range with respect to the first cylindrical member 1. Therefore, while ensuring that the inlet of the water inlet pipe 4 and the outlet of the water outlet pipe 5 are within the same axial height range, it is permissible to manufacture both the water inlet pipe 4 and the water outlet pipe 5 as straight pipes extending radially.

[0046] The water meter housing with the above configuration eliminates the need for special-shaped pipes for the inlet pipe 4 and outlet pipe 5 in this application. This greatly simplifies the manufacturing process of the inlet pipe 4 and outlet pipe 5, improves the production efficiency of the water meter housing 100, and reduces the processing cost of the water meter housing 100.

[0047] Furthermore, the water meter housing 100 with the above configuration can be made of, for example, metal. The first cylindrical wall 1, the second cylindrical wall 2, the bottom wall 3, the inlet pipe 4, and the outlet pipe 5 can be manufactured separately, and then the connections between the various components as described above can be achieved by welding, gluing, or other connection methods known in the prior art.

[0048] Preferably, the water meter housing 100 described herein can be made of engineering plastic and molded in one piece using an injection molding process. Any suitable engineering plastic known in the prior art can be used. On the one hand, since the density of plastic materials is lower than that of metal materials, the weight of the water meter housing 100 can be reduced. On the other hand, the injection molding process is easy to manufacture, eliminating the need for secondary machining and post-processing, enabling mass production, improving production efficiency, and reducing unit costs.

[0049] In a preferred embodiment, the first cylindrical wall 1 is designed to have a constant inner diameter along its axial direction, and the second cylindrical wall 2 is also designed to have a constant inner diameter along its axial direction. Since the first cylindrical wall 1 and the second cylindrical wall 2, both with constant inner diameters, do not have any structural undercuts, demolding of these components is convenient when the water meter housing 100 is manufactured using injection molding. This reduces the production time per unit and thus improves production efficiency. Furthermore, the aforementioned configuration of the first cylindrical wall 1 and the second cylindrical wall 2 facilitates compatibility with various commercially available water meter movements.

[0050] In a preferred embodiment, the inlet pipe 4 and the outlet pipe 5 are also designed to have a constant inner diameter in the extension direction. Similarly, since the inlet pipe 4 and the outlet pipe 5, which have a constant inner diameter, do not have any structural undercuts, the inlet pipe 4 and the outlet pipe 5 are easy to demold when the water meter housing 100 is produced by injection molding.

[0051] Furthermore, those skilled in the art should understand that although the water meter described herein is used as an example for measuring water flow, the water meter according to this invention is not limited to measuring water, but can also be applied to measuring other fluids.

[0052] The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to specific examples. It is understood that the above description is exemplary and not restrictive, and various modifications and variations can be conceived by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention. These modifications and variations are also included within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A water meter housing (100) designed to at least partially accommodate a water meter movement (200). Wherein, it is characterized by, The water meter casing (100) includes: First cylindrical wall (1); Bottom wall (3), the bottom wall (3) is attached to the lower shaft end face of the first cylindrical wall (1) to close the lower open end of the first cylindrical wall (1); The second cylindrical wall (2) is housed in the internal space of the first cylindrical wall (1) and the lower axial end face of the second cylindrical wall (2) is fluid-tightly connected to the bottom wall (3). The axial dimension of the second cylindrical wall (2) is smaller than the axial dimension of the first cylindrical wall (1). The inner circumferential surface of the second cylindrical wall (2) and the bottom wall (3) together surround the inner ring water inlet cavity (C1). The outer circumferential surface of the second cylindrical wall (2), the first cylindrical wall (1) and the bottom wall (3) together surround the outer ring water outlet cavity (C2). A water inlet pipe (4) passes through the first cylindrical wall (1) and the second cylindrical wall (2) to directly guide fluid into the inner ring water inlet chamber (C1); and The water outlet pipe (5) is connected to the area of ​​the first cylindrical wall (1) corresponding to the outer ring water outlet cavity (C2) to guide the fluid out of the outer ring water outlet cavity (C2), wherein the inlet of the water inlet pipe (4) and the outlet of the water outlet pipe (5) are located within the same axial height range.

2. The water meter housing (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The water meter housing (100) is a single piece made of engineering plastic.

3. The water meter casing (100) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The inlet pipe (4) and the outlet pipe (5) extend in a straight line along the same or different radial directions of the first cylindrical wall (1).

4. The water meter housing (100) according to claim 3, characterized in that, Both the inlet pipe (4) and the outlet pipe (5) extend with a constant inner diameter.

5. The water meter housing (100) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Both the first cylindrical wall (1) and the second cylindrical wall (2) are cylindrical and extend with a constant inner diameter.

6. The water meter housing (100) according to claim 5, characterized in that, The second cylindrical wall (2) is arranged coaxially with respect to the first cylindrical wall (1).

7. The water meter casing (100) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, A first step (22) is provided on the upper axial end face of the second cylindrical wall (2) and extends continuously in the circumference of the second cylindrical wall (2). The first step (22) is designed to allow the water meter movement (200) to sit on the first step (22).

8. A water meter, characterized in that, The water meter includes a water meter housing (100) according to claim 7, and also includes a water meter movement (200) housed within the water meter housing (100).

9. The water meter according to claim 8, characterized in that, The housing of the water meter movement (200) is provided with a plurality of lower water inlets (62), a plurality of upper water outlets (63), and a second step portion (61) located axially between the plurality of lower water inlets (62) and the plurality of upper water outlets (63). The water meter movement (200) is supported axially above the second cylindrical wall (2) such that the second step portion (61) sits on the first step portion (22), so that after the water meter movement (200) and the water meter housing (100) are assembled, the plurality of lower water inlets (62) are located in the inner ring water inlet cavity (C1).

10. The water meter according to claim 9, characterized in that, The water meter also includes an annular sealing ring (7), which is sandwiched between the first step portion (22) and the second step portion (61).

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