Customizable electric energy meter accessory, associated system and method

Abstract

Customizable electrical energy meter accessory, associated system and method. According to a first aspect, the invention relates to a customizable electrical energy meter accessory (7) which comprises at least one means for being fixed on an energy meter (1) and a customizable surface (8) capable of masking at least a part of the surface of the front face of said meter on which it is fixed, all or part of said customizable surface (8) being capable of allowing the adhesion of at least one ink and / or at least one paint and / or at least one glue. According to a second aspect, the invention relates to a customizable electrical energy metering system comprising an electrical energy meter (1) and an accessory (7) according to the invention.According to a third aspect, the invention relates to a method comprising at least a first step of choosing the customization and a second step of ordering the personalized accessory having been chosen during the first step. Figure for the abstract: Fig 3.

Description

Title of the invention: Customizable electric energy meter accessory, associated system and method Technical field

[0001] The present invention falls within the technical field of electrical energy metering. Prior art

[0002] Electric energy meters have always been approached only from a utilitarian and technical angle under economic constraints.

[0003] These are devices that must comply with regulations and binding technical standards relating in particular to the electrical safety of the device and its metrology functions serving as a basis for economic transactions. In addition to the purely technical constraints, there are strong economic and industrial constraints given the large quantities of devices to be manufactured and deployed when it comes to energy meters intended for residential electrical installations.

[0004] The result of all the constraints to be taken into account is necessarily austere and unattractive devices which are ultimately neither attractive nor discreet.

[0005] This goes against the new needs of energy companies who must arouse the interest of the general public in devices which until now presented little, if any, interest in them. These new needs are part of the context of the development of new uses and new services in the context of the energy transition towards renewable energies and towards greater energy sobriety.

[0006] Users in the general population of countries are now expected to be interested in monitoring their energy consumption in general and electricity consumption in particular and to do so by interacting with their meter.

[0007] In addition, users have become accustomed to sophisticated ergonomics based on devices with a high-definition touch screen and significant computing power, such as smartphones and digital tablets. A quality of human-machine interface that is impossible to match, or even approach, with the screens and processors that can be embedded in energy meters due to the highly constrained costs of these devices.

[0008] Electricity distribution network managers now also expect their new meters to be accepted, or even desired, by consumers in their homes, in the same way as consumer electronic devices.

[0009] However, on the one hand the dimensions of essential technical elements that must be located on the front face of the meters for functional and / or regulatory reasons such as an LCD screen, at least one button, at least one indicator light informing the user about the functional status of his meter, where appropriate a local communication interface such as an optical port, and on the other hand the total surface area occupied by these elements relative to the surface area and standardized dimensions of the front face of the meter, limit the technical possibilities of influencing the overall aesthetics of the device to make it more attractive, or more discreet, according to the wishes of the users.

[0010] The technical impossibility of making an electrical energy meter as such aesthetically acceptable in a home and desirable to the general public is an obstacle to the widespread adoption of new uses requiring interactions between consumers and their meters.

[0011] Furthermore, the need for distribution network managers to deploy large quantities of new generation communicating meters and legal and economic constraints force them to rely on a plurality of industrial suppliers. It has been found that even when starting from a common specification precisely defining the technical characteristics of a new meter, disparities visible to consumers remain between devices supplied by different manufacturers. These residual disparities run counter to the wishes of distribution network managers to reduce the visible heterogeneity of their meter fleet and to be more independent of the manufacturers' choices regarding the implementation of their specifications. Statement of the invention

[0012] The aim of the invention is to remedy at least partially the technical problems mentioned above, by proposing technical solutions that are simple to industrialize and inexpensive to implement in order to respond to the contradictory injunctions that energy companies must now respond to with a view to the general public adopting their communicating meters, which should lead to a wide adoption of the new uses that they allow.

[0013] According to a first aspect, the invention relates to a customizable electrical energy meter accessory which comprises at least one means for fixing it to an electrical energy meter and a customizable surface capable of masking at least one third of the surface of the front face of said meter on which it is fixed, all or part of said customizable surface being capable of allowing the adhesion of at least one ink and / or at least one paint and / or at least one glue.

[0014] The invention further provides that said accessory is capable of allowing access to all or part of the elements of the front face of said meter by moving all or part of said accessory relative to said meter on which it is fixed. By allowing access to all or part of the elements of the front face of the meter by moving all or part of said accessory, is meant the technical possibility offered to the user to access said elements, for example a display, at least one button or an optical communication port which are masked by the accessory in normal use, this to meet exceptional needs such as the removal of a doubt about the amount of a bill or the need to manually read the value of at least one metering index for example to re-invoice energy to a tenant. Said exceptional needs correspond to usage times of less than 50% of the operating time of the meter.By moving all or part of said accessory is meant, for example, a pure and simple removal of the accessory according to the invention where the user detaches it from the energy meter on which it is normally fixed prior to accessing elements of interest on the front face of the meter which are normally hidden by the accessory in normal use. By moving all or part of said accessory is also meant a translational movement and / or a rotational movement of said accessory relative to said meter on which it is fixed, nevertheless leaving said accessory secured to said meter. This may involve, for example, translating all or part of said accessory on slides secured to said meter to uncover the elements of the front face of the meter which the user wishes to access.It may also be, for example, a hinge allowing the accessory to take the form of a normally closed door to hide rarely used and unattractive elements of the front face of a meter. Said door can be easily opened by the user without tools when he wishes to access at least one element which is hidden when the door is closed, its default position in normal use.

[0015] Able to mask at least one third of the surface of the front face of said meter is understood to mean the technical characteristic according to which said accessory has a stable positioning position relative to said meter on which it is fixed where said accessory interposes a surface blocking the transmission of light rays between the eyes of the user and at least 33% of the surface of the front face of said meter. This for example in the context of normal use corresponding to at least 50% of the operating time of said meter.

[0016] All or part of said customizable surface being capable of allowing the adhesion of at least one ink and / or at least one paint and / or at least one glue is understood to mean the fact that the material used and / or its surface condition, where appropriate after appropriate treatment, allows the adhesion of marking products, coating of surface or adhesives usable to personalize said surface. The invention provides industrialized personalization services by automated 2D or 3D printing, for example from a file chosen or provided by the user. The invention also provides artisanal personalization services for example using noble, rare or meaningful materials and / or based on exclusive designs and / or using techniques from the luxury industry. The invention also provides that said customizable surface is personalized directly by the user in a DIY type approach. The good adhesion of the paint allows for example the user who seeks the discretion of his meter to paint said customizable surface with the same wall paint as that of the wall on which it is installed.Similarly, if the wall on which the meter is installed is covered with a wall covering such as wallpaper or fabric, the good adhesion of common adhesives easily allows the user to cover said customizable surface with a covering identical to that of the wall. Any perforations in said customizable surface, for example to reveal an indicator light or a screen, can be easily preserved by appropriately cutting the covering glued to the surface. It is planned to improve the surface condition of certain less naturally adherent materials by mechanical micro-structuring of the surface and / or by chemical attack or treatment of the surface and / or by prior application of an appropriate primer on said surface.

[0017] The invention further provides that said customizable surface can be used without customization, for example by providing an accessory according to the invention having by default a surface condition characteristic of a finished product and / or a neutral color such as white.

[0018] The accessory according to the invention further comprises at least one hole, and / or at least one window, and / or at least one button extender for operating at least one indicator light and / or at least one screen and / or at least one button and / or at least one communication port of said meter on which it is fixed.

[0019] The invention provides for example that said accessory comprises at least one hole, or at least one transparent window, having a shape, a dimension and a location suitable for allowing the user to see a visual element such as at least one indicator light and / or at least one screen of said meter on which it is fixed.

[0020] The invention also provides, for example, that said accessory comprises at least one hole and / or at least one button extension to allow the user to act on at least one button of said meter to which it is fixed.

[0021] The invention provides that the at least one button extender is for example at least one movable mechanical part mounted on said accessory, or a functionalization of a surface of said accessory exploiting the elasticity of the material from which it is manufactured, to bring back to an accessible surface of said accessory the active surface on which to press to act mechanically or electrically ultimately on the at least one button included in said meter on which it is fixed.

[0022] The accessory according to the invention further comprises means for preventing the propagation of the flame to, and / or the ignition of, its main material.

[0023] The invention provides technical means for limiting the use of plastic materials comprising harmful flame-retardant chemical substances to only the coverings of electrical power components likely to heat up to the point of igniting in the event of a fault. Such chemical substances are, for example, brominated compounds which are commonly used to make plastic materials used in electrical appliances compliant with testing standards on the safety of the flammability of plastic materials such as UL94-V0, IEC60707, IEC60695-11-10, IEC60695-11-20, ISO 9772 and ISO9773. Other flame retardants such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers are suspected of being endocrine disruptors which can in particular affect animal and human reproduction.The invention provides technical solutions for limiting the use of flame-retardant plastic materials to the cladding of only the technical functions, or even only the technical power functions, of an electric meter by moving the mechanical function of supporting the aesthetics of the device to said accessory which does not require any particular chemical treatment of the plastic material(s) with which it is manufactured. It is thus intended to manufacture electric meters according to the invention in which the quantity of flame-retardant plastic material is minimized and, where the additional plastic material(s) used in particular to form the visible external part of the device are non-specific, inexpensive, safe for the environment and for health, and are advantageously easily recyclable.

[0024] The invention further provides that said means for preventing the propagation of the flame to, and / or the ignition of, its main material are an arrangement of the shape of said device to move its main material away from all or part of the surface of said meter. It is intended to move the main material of the accessory according to the invention away from the surface of said meter at least in the places likely to heat up or ignite in the event of a technical fault. The technical faults known to cause a significant rise in temperature in an electrical energy meter concern the power circuit of the device. For example, heating can occur at the incoming or outgoing terminals of the cables when the installer has not applied sufficient tightening torque to maintain very low contact resistance between a conductor and the screw terminal intended to receive it.Heating can also occur at the level of the cut-off device acting as a power relay in electricity meters that include one, such as most so-called smart meters. There may in fact be . see manufacturing defects, or alterations in the quality of the electrical contacts of the relay following overloads or the effects of lightning.

[0025] In certain variants of implementation of the invention, provision is made during the design of the accessory to create a sufficient space, for example of at least 5 mm, between the inner surface of the accessory according to the invention and the outer surface of said meter. This is at least in line with the internal components of the meter which are likely to heat up considerably in the event of a fault. The objective being that an air gap prevents a potentially high temperature at certain points of the meter from spreading to the at least one material from which the accessory is manufactured. Air is in fact an excellent thermal insulator which is free and which does not pose a problem of waste treatment at the end of the life cycle of the device.

[0026] The invention further provides that said means for preventing the propagation of the flame to, and / or the ignition of, its main material are the addition of at least one part and / or at least one material acting as a heat shield between its main material and all or part of the surface of said meter. It is provided for example to interpose a third material in the form of an added mechanical part or by the formation of an assembly of a plurality of different materials forming a composite part. For example, ceramic or glassy type materials are capable of acting as a heat shield while being good electrical insulators. It is provided that the location of the at least one part and / or at least one material acting as a heat shield is limited to the direct environment of the parts of the meter which are likely to reach a high temperature in the event of a technical fault.This implementation variant allows for more compact assemblies than using an air blade.

[0027] The accessory according to the invention further comprises at least one electronic subassembly. The function(s) of the at least one electronic subassembly are for example related to the local use of said meter and / or to its wall positioning in the room where it is installed. So-called smart electric meters offer communication functions with the upstream infrastructure for remote reading of metering indexes and remote parameterization of the meter by the distribution network manager. These are professional communication systems compliant with stable and long-lasting protocol standards. There are also communication needs to be satisfied between the meter and objects related to the downstream electrical installation. For example, to inform the user about his energy consumption with attractive ergonomics adapted to the general public that allows the use of a smartphone or a digital tablet.New needs have also been identified as part of the energy transition towards an electricity production mix based more on renewable energies. It is thus . planned to be able to connect the meter to optional communicating devices that can be advantageously installed at the user's premises. For example, to devices such as an energy manager capable of automatically controlling the flexibility of consumption in the user's installation, a router connected to the Internet by ADSL, optical fiber or cellular radio, an intermediate gateway to connect to the router if necessary, intelligent and communicating power devices capable of exploiting directly, or via adapters, information from the meter such as for example a water heater, a heat pump, an air conditioner, an electric vehicle charging station.

[0028] That being said, integrating a direct communication capability between the meter and consumer devices into an electrical energy meter poses several problems. A first problem is of a technical nature. It is due to the difference in the life cycle durations between an electricity meter designed for an operating life of around 15 to 20 years, and the communication standards used in consumer electronic devices which have a shorter lifespan, and which during their life cycle require updates to the software embedded in the devices, or even hardware upgrades to the communication sub-assemblies they comprise.A second problem is of a legal and operational nature regarding the responsibility for maintaining the communication service between the meter and the downstream installation, which the meter operator has every interest in limiting to an interface that it fully controls and which is based on lasting professional technical standards. A third problem is of an economic nature; it is not advantageous for an electricity distribution network manager to increase the unit cost of the meters it operates by systematically incorporating a downstream communication sub-assembly that will only really be needed by large-scale users with a significant fleet of high-power electrical appliances.

[0029] The invention further provides that the at least one electronic subassembly acts as a communication gateway, and / or optical and / or acoustic signaling in connection with information from said meter, and / or energy manager, and / or home automation center, and / or clock, and / or clock-calendar.

[0030] The invention provides advantageous technical solutions to the three problems mentioned above that would be posed by the integration of a communication sub-assembly with devices of the downstream installation in a meter.

[0031] Thus it is provided that the at least one electronic subassembly included in said accessory acts as a communication gateway between at least one appropriate interface of the meter and at least one device of the downstream installation using a communication protocol standard different from that of the at least one appropriate interface of the meter. The at least one device of the downstream installation using for example a radio standard of consumer electronics such as Bluetooth and / or Wi-Fi. It is also provided that the at least one electronic subassembly acts as optical and / or acoustic signaling in connection with information from said meter. For example to warn users by suitable means exploiting their sense of sight and / or their sense of hearing that the consumption within the downstream installation exceeds a limit and that it is necessary to reduce it quickly to avoid the power supply to the dwelling being cut off by the meter. According to the implementation variants of the invention, the signaling means are local at the level of the accessory and / or are remoted into the living rooms by appropriate adapters, for example at least one device known as a voice assistant.It is also provided that the signaling means use a user terminal such as a smartphone to provide the user with information by direct local communication using a specific application, or by transiting through external networks to provide the information to the user by sending an SMS or a notification via at least one social network to which the user is connected. The invention also provides that the at least one electronic subassembly included in said accessory acts as an energy manager, and / or a home automation center to provide the user with sophisticated services aimed at optimizing their energy consumption and / or their comfort.

[0032] The invention further provides that the at least one electronic subassembly acts as a clock or clock-calendar. Alternative embodiments of the invention are provided in which all or part of the external surface of the accessory according to the invention comprises one or more displays, for example of the liquid crystal type and / or of the “electronic paper” type for displaying the current time and / or date. The invention also advantageously provides that said clock or clock-calendar is automatically set to the current time, and where appropriate to the current date, by using time information or timestamp information transmitted by the meter.Even more advantageously, it is provided that the default display of the current time and / or date is automatically replaced by the display of messages related to energy consumption, for example when the meter approaches its disconnection threshold and the user must be informed that he must act quickly on his devices to reduce his overall consumption. The return to the normal display of the time and / or date is managed automatically when the reason for the alert disappears.

[0033] The invention further provides that the at least one electronic subassembly receives from said meter the energy it needs for its operation. In addition to providing an interface for connecting unidirectionally in the meter direction downstream, or bidirectionally, the main part of the electric energy meter and at least one electronic subassembly included in the accessory according to the invention, it is also provided that the meter supplies energy to the at least one electronic subassembly. This is to avoid using in the accessory batteries or electrochemical accumulators whose lifespan is shorter than that of the meter and which are problematic for the environment. It is provided for example, in the context of a first implementation variant, to equip the meter with a wired interface with two or three contacts to transmit the data and ensure the power supply of the at least one electronic subassembly.Of course, the requirements for electrical safety and electromagnetic compatibility are taken into account by compliance with the standards in force in this area, in particular by ensuring sufficient galvanic isolation between the potential of the electrical network and the contacts of the meter interface. A second implementation variant provides for the placement of a primary inductor behind a plastic wall of the meter housing in order to be able to safely transfer low-voltage electrical energy into a secondary inductor placed opposite it in the at least one electronic subassembly. Advantageously, the inductive coupling used to transfer energy from the meter to the at least one electronic subassembly is also used to transmit data in a unidirectional or bidirectional manner.For example, it is planned to use all or part of standard technical solutions known by the acronym "NFC" (meaning Near Field Communication in English). In particular, technical solutions used for applications known by the acronym "RFID" (meaning Radio Frequency Identification in English) at 125 kHz. The reuse of all or part of these known technical solutions allows advantageous implementations of the invention based on the use of passive electronic components and / or semiconductors that are widely available and have a low cost.

[0034] According to a second aspect, the invention relates to a customizable electrical energy metering system, said system comprises:

[0035] - an electric energy meter,

[0036] - a customizable electric energy meter accessory according to the invention at least one means of attachment to said electrical energy meter is compatible with the latter.

[0037] Said electrical energy meter being a stand-alone device ensuring the essential technical functions of an electrical energy meter. The essential functions being those of its metrology part which complies with the requirements of the country of implementation to be used in the context of economic transactions based on the metering index value of the electrical energy consumed and / or produced and injected into the electricity network by the downstream installation. Where appropriate, it is also planned to remotely read states or alerts related to the state of the meter, the distribution network or the downstream installation or even related to attempted fraud. It is also planned that the energy meter includes a remotely controllable power cut-off device, associated where appropriate with a function for limiting the electrical power supplied, the disconnection threshold of which can be remotely configured.

[0038] It is expected that the system according to the invention further comprises at least one third-party device communicating with the accessory according to the invention. For example, a smartphone, a digital tablet, a communication gateway with a router of the installation or with an external network, a router connected to the Internet, an energy manager, a home automation center, a power electrical device communicating directly with the accessory according to the invention or via an adapter. Such power electrical devices being, for example, a water heater, a heat pump, an air conditioner, an electric vehicle charger, an electricity storage battery, an inverter associated with photovoltaic panels, a washing machine, a dryer or a dishwasher.

[0039] It is also provided that the customizable energy metering system according to the invention comprises at least one remote information system and / or at least one application software executed in a device of the user of the system.

[0040] According to a third aspect, the invention relates to a method, implemented in whole or in part by software, for personalizing a customizable electrical energy meter accessory according to the invention. The method according to the invention comprises at least a first step of choosing the customization from a set of possible predetermined customizations, or of developing a specific customization, of said accessory, and a second step of ordering the personalized accessory which has been selected or developed during said first step.

[0041] Said steps being advantageously carried out via an application program executed in a mobile terminal and / or in a computer and / or via a website executed in whole or in part in a remote server.

[0042] The aim is to enable consumer users to better take ownership of their electricity meter so that they feel more concerned than they do today by energy-related issues. The appropriation of the meter by its user begins with the acceptance of the meter object in its environment, in particular when the distribution network manager has planned to install the meters not in a closed electrical box but directly in view of users on a wall of a room in the home or in a professional premises open to the public. One of the problems that makes it difficult to appropriate the object is the great diversity of tastes and preferences of the general public that would have to be satisfied. In addition, the economic constraints of the operator require minimizing the production costs of the meters by having them manufactured in very large series. The method according to the invention makes it possible to respond advantageously to these contradictory injunctions by providing an infinite capacity for customization to a standardized object produced in large series and at low cost.

[0043] The first step of the method according to the invention concerns the determination of the customization of the accessory according to the invention that the user desires.

[0044] The means made available to the user for carrying out the steps of the method requiring interactions with the user are advantageously standard mobile terminals such as smartphones and digital tablets by means of at least one dedicated mobile application which can be obtained in an appropriate application store such as "Google Play Store" or "App Store" (registered trademark of Apple Inc.), or by accessing a dedicated website by means of a standard browser. The invention also provides for the use of standard computers or terminals optimized for self-service use in points of sale, for example in agencies of the energy operator or in places frequented by the general public.The use of standard computers or computers in the form of a terminal or a point-of-sale machine is based on an application program dedicated to the method according to the invention executed by the computer, or on a dedicated website which is accessed by means of a standard browser executed on the computer.

[0045] The invention provides two categories of customization.

[0046] The first category of customization is based on the user choosing a customization from at least one catalog of possible predetermined customizations. The catalog advantageously includes several images such as a front view of the accessory in a typical interior, views from different angles or illustrating details for each choice of customization proposed. Advantageously, the offer of predetermined customizations proposed to the user includes several categories grouping types of customization related to production methods, price levels or market segmentations including for example a basic offer oriented towards low prices up to a very high-end luxury type offer at a high price. Intermediate offers are also provided in themes structuring the catalogs in order to facilitate the user's choice.Some of the main themes of interest to the general public are, for example, nature, sports, more specifically football, celebrities, art, solid colors, wallpapers, decoration themes, and handcrafted customizations.

[0047] The second category of personalization is based, for example, on the direct or indirect transmission by the user of a 2D digital image file or a 3D model usable for carrying out the customization. For example, a 2D image file of the “jpeg” or “stl” type for 3D models. The invention provides, for example, that the user uses the camera of his smartphone to acquire an image of his choice, that he uses, if necessary, digital tools offered by the application implementing the invention to refine the potential rendering of his customization by adjusting the positioning of the image on said customizable surface according to the invention by superimposing or incrusting the outline of said surface in the image, or by adjusting the zoom level of the image on said surface or by modifying the color rendering.

[0048] The second category of personalization is based, for example, also on a plurality of basic choices to be made by the user, such as colors, textures, materials, shapes and, where appropriate, on the use of software tools for designing the personalization, the ergonomics of which are very simple, adapted to general public users and advantageously adapted to interactions with the user on a smartphone or on a digital tablet.

[0049] In particularly sophisticated versions of implementation of the method according to the invention, the mobile application suggests that the user direct the camera of his smartphone towards the wall where his meter is installed, or towards the place where it will be installed, to embed the image of the proposed personalized accessory in order to show a realistic rendering of the accessory while, where appropriate, masking the bare or already personalized meter in the user's situation.

[0050] The method according to the invention comprises a second step of ordering the personalized accessory according to the personalization choice(s) made by the user during the first step.

[0051] The method according to the invention further comprises a step of manufacturing or extracting a stock comprising at least one already manufactured accessory corresponding to the user's choice, a step of delivering the personalized accessory to the physical address specified by the user during the ordering step which is by default that of the place where the meter has been or will be installed, and a step of fixing the personalized accessory on the electrical energy meter. Brief description of the drawings

[0052] Other advantages and characteristics of the invention will appear on examining the detailed description of non-limiting embodiments, and the appended drawings where:

[0053] [Fig. 1] illustrates the prior art in electronic electrical energy meters.

[0054] [Fig.2] illustrates three variants of implementation of the accessory according to the invention.

[0055] [Fig.3] illustrates a fourth variant of implementation of the accessory according to invention.

[0056] [Fig.4] illustrates a system according to the invention whose two essential components are separated.

[0057] [Fig.5] illustrates a system according to the invention whose two essential components are assembled.

[0058] [Fig.6] illustrates the method according to the invention. Detailed description

[0059] In the drawings attached as non-limiting examples:

[0060] [Fig.l] illustrates the prior art in electronic electricity meters. Electronic electrical energy meters 1, in particular those belonging to the category of so-called smart meters, comprise on their front face for example a liquid crystal display 2, at least one button 3 to allow the user to navigate through the information displayable on the screen 2, an indicator light 4 often used to continuously display the functional state of the meter, and where appropriate to emit a flash of light for each Watt-hour consumed in the downstream installation, a communication port 5 for example an optical communication port according to the IEC62056-21 standard and / or a wired communication port, and at least one lockable cover 6 protecting the connection terminals of the conductors of the cables supplying the electrical energy coming from the upstream distribution network and leaving it to the downstream installation.

[0061] Given the significant proportion of the surface area of ​​the front face of an electronic electrical energy meter that is occupied by these technical elements that are mandatory for functional and / or regulatory reasons, the possibilities offered to designers to design more aesthetic objects so that they are better accepted, or even desired, by consumers, are extremely reduced. Similarly, the customization capabilities of the energy meter object are technically reduced or even non-existent due to the little space remaining free on the front face of the meter and because the user is informed of the fact that the meter is the property of the electricity network manager and that the user is not authorized to modify its appearance.

[0062] [Fig.2] illustrates three variants of implementation of the accessory according to the invention.

[0063] Variant a) of [Fig.2] illustrates a minimal version of the customizable meter accessory according to the invention. In this variant, the accessory 7 has a small customizable surface 8 relative to that of the front face of the meter 1 on which it is intended to be positioned. The accessory 7 only masks the terminal cover. The accessory 7 is fixed to the meter 1 by suitable means such as clips, rails, slides, axles plugging into holes provided for this purpose in the meter housing, advantageously for example in existing holes whose primary function is to allow the insertion of screws for fixing the meter to its support. In this variant, the fixing of the accessory on the meter is carried out by the installer or by the user of the meter by a movement whose direction is perpendicular to the wall and the direction from the inside of the room towards the wall. The accessory 7 is easily removed by the user so that at least its customizable surface 8 is painted, covered with a wall covering or any decorative element stuck on its surface. The accessory 7 is then easily replaced on the meter 1 after having been personalized according to the aesthetic preferences of the user.It is also provided that the customizable surface 8 is capable of receiving stickers, for example to convey energy sobriety messages from the electricity distribution network manager who operates the meter or from the electricity supplier with whom the user has subscribed his supply contract. In this variant, all the technical elements of the front face of the meter remain accessible without having to remove the accessory according to the invention, with the exception of the terminal cover which is not intended to be removed after installation of the meter.

[0064] Variant b) of [Fig.2] illustrates a middle version of the customizable meter accessory according to the invention. In this variant, the accessory 7 has a customizable surface 8 of average size relative to that of the front face of the meter 1. The accessory 7 masks the communication port, which is little or not used in current use, and the cover hides the terminals. The accessory 7 is for example fixed by means of rails, grooves or slides present on the meter housing. The installation of the accessory 7 on the meter 1, its partial removal if necessary and its removal are carried out by translational movements whose direction is parallel to the wall. Means are provided such as bumps in the rails, slides or grooves to form hard points capable of maintaining the accessory in the installed position if gravity exerts a force which opposes it.This variant illustrates the ability of the customizable surface 8 of the accessory 7 to be printed in a specialized workshop from an image file chosen or provided by the user of the meter. The customizable surface 8 of the accessory 7 is compatible with the inks used for professional high-resolution inkjet printing of so-called “fine art” quality on laminated supports. It is intended that a suitable primer be applied to the surface 8 of the accessory 7 prior to printing in cases where the material used to manufacture the accessory 7 or its surface condition are not naturally compatible with the inks used for printing the personalization.

[0065] Variant c) of [Fig.2] illustrates a full version of the customizable meter accessory according to the invention. In this variant, the accessory 7 has a customizable surface 8 of a dimension which is greater than or equal to that of the front face of the meter which is therefore entirely covered. The accessory 7 masks all the technical elements of the meter with the exception of an indicator light which advantageously remains constantly visible through a small diameter hole 9 made in the accessory 7 to the right of the indicator light of interest of the meter. This variant illustrates another method of fixing the accessory to the meter. The accessory 7 forms a door added to the meter which is able to be opened and closed by pivoting around an axis of rotation 10 according to the needs of the user.The accessory 7 in the form of a door is both pivotable while being easily mounted on the meter and removable without departing from the framework of a low-cost single-piece part produced by injection of plastic material. The pivoting function is achieved for example by means of two pivots emerging from the inner lateral surfaces at the top and bottom of the accessory 7, said pivots being aligned with the axis of rotation 10. Advantageously, the two pivots have a short length of a few millimeters and a rounded or pointed end. Said pivots exploit the flexibility of the plastic material from which the accessory is manufactured, if necessary in an optimized manner by an appropriate cutout in the lateral parts of the accessory carrying the pivots, to be able to clip and unclip easily in two blind holes provided for this purpose on the corresponding upper and lower side walls of the meter.The two corresponding holes of the meter are also aligned with the rotation axis 10. This variant of the customizable meter accessory according to the invention illustrates the fact that it is also provided that the accessory visually presents at least on its external faces a clean surface condition and a neutral color capable of making the accessory also usable in the state as it left the factory without any customization.

[0066] Variants of the accessory according to the invention are provided, the external shape of which is different and largely exceeds the surface area of ​​the meter on which it is installed.

[0067] [Fig. 3] illustrates a fourth variant of implementation of the accessory according to the invention. This variant illustrates particularly well the main advantages of the invention compared to prior technical solutions based exclusively on the characteristics of the housing of the electrical energy meter. Indeed, the invention provides a decoupling that can be significant between the shape and dimensions of the accessory according to the invention, and those of the meter on which it is fixed. This technical advantage opens up great possibilities in terms of aesthetic design of the metering system according to the invention and on the industrial level. The functions of the energy metering system according to the invention are separated between essential technical functions of an electrical energy meter which are the responsibility of the part energy meter of the system according to the invention, and technical functions of physical support of the aesthetics of the entire system and where appropriate of the ancillary functions relating to the downstream electrical installation and its users which return to the accessory part of a system according to the invention. The industrial interest of this separation and this distribution of functions is that it becomes possible to reduce overall manufacturing costs by manufacturing the meter part in very large series, without worrying about the aesthetic constraints of the final product and by reducing the use of flame-retardant plastic materials to the strict minimum.Another industrial and economic interest for an energy operator is to be able to reduce the specifications of a meter to its external dimensions only, to the methods of fixing the accessory according to the invention and, where appropriate, to the location on the front face of an element such as a status indicator to appear through a hole or a window of the accessory. Thus, an energy contractor can give more freedom to its industrial suppliers to enable them to reduce their costs. In addition, the energy operator retains control over the external appearance of the metering systems according to the invention regardless of the differences in appearance of the meters it includes, which depend on their respective industrial suppliers. These are generally multiple in the case of domestic meters manufactured in very large series and involving several technical generations of devices.

[0068] The accessory part according to the invention can also be manufactured in relatively large series as regards the basic part forming the accessory according to the invention, then be personalized, if necessary on request in a unit-specific manner, in appropriate specialized workshops. Shorter series are also provided for particular versions of the accessory according to the invention, for example versions comprising an electronic subassembly whose functions require a different mold or additional machining, for example to open up into the customizable surface of the accessory technical resources associated with the at least one electronic subassembly of the accessory such as at least one display, at least one button or keyboard, or at least one connector.

[0069] View a) of [Fig. 3] illustrates said fourth variant of the accessory according to the invention seen from the front. The accessory according to the invention 7 has a relatively free and arbitrary external shape which is dictated mainly by aesthetic choices of design of the object, by manufacturing costs, by the technical characteristics of the material(s) chosen to manufacture the accessory, by the dimensions of the energy meter part to be masked in whole or in part, and by the constraints linked to the means chosen to fix the accessory part according to the invention on the energy meter part of the system according to the invention. This variant of the accessory according to the invention maximizes the customizable surface 8 in order to improve the acceptability of the device and to accelerate its adoption by the general public. In this example of implementation of the invention, the general shape of a stylized leaf was chosen to promote adoption by users, or even the desirability of the product, and integration into a home by choosing a softer and more elaborate shape than that of a traditional energy meter. Thus, the user can largely determine the aesthetics of their metering system based on their preferences and the customization offers proposed by the energy operator concerned, or even by third parties specialized in the marketing of accessories according to the invention.Only a small diameter hole 9 located to the right of an indicator light of interest on the meter when the accessory is fixed on it allows the user, for example, to view the functional state of the meter in all circumstances by a color code and / or by appropriate types of flashing and / or by appropriate light intensities. Hole 9 is arranged so as not to significantly alter the aesthetics of the accessory or its ability to be personalized according to the user's wishes.

[0070] View b) of [Fig.3] illustrates said fourth variant of the invention seen from above. This variant of the accessory 7 according to the invention comprises returns also covering the upper wall of the meter.

[0071] View c) of [Fig. 3] illustrates said fourth variant of the invention seen from the side. This variant of the accessory 7 according to the invention also comprises returns partially covering the lateral sides of the meter 1.

[0072] It should be noted that the choices of partial covering of the side walls and absence of covering of the lower wall of the meter 1 is only an aesthetic choice because this variant of the accessory 7 according to the invention is fixed on the meter 1 and is removed by a movement having a direction perpendicular to the front face of the meter which would not have been hindered by a complete encircling of the meter 1.

[0073] [Fig. 4] illustrates a system according to the invention whose two essential components are separated. [Fig. 4] illustrates the accessory variant 7 according to the invention from a view angle showing the interior of its shape. This shape is advantageously produced by injection of a single plastic material, conforming to high environmental requirements, and wholly or partly recycled. It is even more advantageously provided that the recycled plastic material used comes from the recycling of the housings of old electrical energy meters which have been replaced. The interior view of this variant of the accessory 7 shows the fixing means 11 used which are in this example of implementation of the invention T-shaped rails sized and located to find their counterpart in the housing of the electrical energy meter 1. [Fig. 4] also illustrates the presence of at least one electronic subassembly 12.The location provided in accessory 7 for receiving the at least one electronic subassembly 12 is advantageously located. suitably so that an inductor or electrical contacts find their counterpart in the meter 1 when the accessory 7 is fixed thereon in the intended position. The meter can then naturally supply power and establish a data link with the at least one electronic subassembly 12 without requiring any installation or special precautions. This refinement of the invention is particularly well suited to mass deployments aimed at the general population without special knowledge or technical skills.

[0074] [Fig. 5] illustrates a system according to the invention whose two essential components, the accessory 7 according to the invention and the electrical energy meter 1, are shown assembled. It should be noted that the invention also makes it possible to simplify the fixing of the meter 1 on its support and to allow direct fixing to a wall by screws and dowels, for example by means of through-holes which open onto the front face of the meter 1 to insert the fixing screws.Indeed, the fact that the front face of the meter 1 can be largely, or even totally, masked by the accessory 7 according to the invention makes it possible to arrange the housing of the meter 1 to enable it to perform additional functions whose consequences on its own aesthetics would not have been deemed acceptable but which the approach of the system according to the invention makes possible because it is the accessory 7 which mainly determines the aesthetics of the entire counting system independently of that of the meter 1 which it comprises.

[0075] [Fig.6] illustrates the method according to the invention.

[0076] After initialization 13 of the software implementing the method, the first step 14 aims to allow the user to determine the customization of the accessory according to the invention that he wishes. This is done by selecting it from a set of possible predetermined customizations or by developing a specific customization, for example from a 2D or 3D image capture, or by uploading an appropriate file corresponding to the desired customization, or by designing a specific customization from appropriate creation software tools.

[0077] The second step 15 which follows the first, aims to order the personalized accessory which was selected or developed during said first step.

[0078] The ordering of the article is advantageously carried out by means of a dedicated button displayed on a screen

[0079] Where appropriate, depending on the implementation variants of the method according to the invention, it is provided that other steps follow said second step 15.

[0080] For example, a payment step 16 of the order, this payment being based on a specific payment action on the part of the user or on the transfer of the purchase information to an information system, for example so that the total amount of the order is included in the next electricity bill. of the user, a step 17 of producing the personalized meter accessory that has been ordered, for example by printing with the appropriate technique a serial plastic part, or extracting from a stock the personalized meter accessory previously produced corresponding to the order, a delivery step 18 to the address confirmed or modified by the user, the default delivery address easily known to the information system being that where the corresponding electric energy meter has been or will be installed, a step 19 of fixing the personalized accessory received on the installed meter.

[0081] Of course, the invention is not limited to the examples which have just been described and numerous adjustments can be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention, in particular by combining several variants or parts of variants in the same implementation or by combining elements taken from several examples differently. The dimensions which are indicated in the description of the invention and its modes of implementation are given for information purposes to illustrate them; the choice of other dimensions does not depart from the scope of the invention.

Claims

Claims

1. Customizable or personalized accessory (7) for personalizing the aesthetics of an electrical energy meter comprising at least one means (11) for fixing it to an electrical energy meter (1), said accessory (7) being characterized in that it further comprises a customizable or personalized surface (8) capable of masking, in normal use, at least one third of the surface of the front face of said meter (1) on which it is fixed, including all or part of the display means (2, 4) of said meter (1), said accessory (7) being further capable of allowing, if necessary, access to all or part of the elements of the front face of the meter (1) by moving all or part of said accessory (7) relative to said meter (1), all or part of said customizable surface (8) being capable of allowing the adhesion of at least one ink, or at least one paint, or at least one glue.

2. Accessory (7) according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises at least one hole (9), or at least one window, or at least one button extender.

3. Accessory (7) according to any one of claims 2 or 3, characterized in that it further comprises means for preventing the propagation of the flame to, or the ignition of, its main material.

4. Accessory (7) according to any one of claim 3, characterized in that said means for preventing the propagation of the flame to, or the ignition of, its main material are an arrangement of the shape of said device for moving its main material away from all or part of the surface of said meter (1).

5. Accessory (7) according to any one of claim 3, characterized in that said means for preventing the propagation of the flame to, or the ignition of, its main material are the addition of at least one part or material acting as a heat shield between its main material and all or part of the surface of said meter (1).

6. Accessory (7) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it further comprises at least one electronic subassembly (12).

7. Accessory (7) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it further comprises at least one electronic subassembly (12) acting as a communication gateway, or optical or acoustic signaling in connection with information from said meter (1).

8. Accessory (7) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it further comprises at least one electronic subassembly (12) acting as an energy manager, or home automation center.

9. Accessory (7) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it further comprises at least one electronic subassembly (12) acting as a clock, or clock-calendar.

10. Accessory (7) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one electronic subassembly (12) receives from said meter (1) the energy it needs for its operation.

11. Customizable electrical energy metering system, characterized in that it comprises: - an electrical energy meter (1), - an accessory (7) according to claims 1 to 10 of which at least one fixing means (11) on said meter is compatible with the latter.

12. Method, implemented in whole or in part by software, for personalizing an electrical energy meter accessory according to claims 1 to 10, characterized in that it comprises at least a first step of choosing the personalization from a set of possible predetermined personalizations, or of developing a specific personalization, of said accessory, and a second step of ordering the personalized accessory which has been selected or developed during said first step.

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