Water leakage detection device and meter reading unit

Abstract

To provide a water leakage detection device which can be easily and stably fitted to an existing water supply meter, and can achieve accurate leakage detection in a short term.SOLUTION: A water leakage detection device 21 is provided, comprising: a water leakage detection portion 22; and a holding portion 23. The water leakage detection portion 22 has a vibration sensor 36, the holding portion 23 has: a top surface holding portion 24 holding a top surface of an upper case 13 of a water meter 11; and a lower surface holding portion 25 holding a lower surface. The top surface holding portion 24 has: a pressurization movement member 27 for pressurization the top surface of the upper case 13 through a spring member 30; and a water leakage detection portion 22 provided on the pressurization movement member 27. The lower surface holding portion 25 has an engagement leg portion engaged with the lower surface of the upper case 13. By mounting a bottom 26 of the pressurization movement member 27 to the top surface of the upper case 13 of the water meter 11, by elastic force by the engagement leg portion and the spring member 30, the upper case 13 can be held in such a manner that it is sandwiched between the engagement leg portion and the spring member 30.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a water leak detection device and a meter reading unit that are detachable from a water meter. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a device that detects water leakage by observing whether or not vibrations in a specific band caused by water leakage are continuously observed among the acoustic vibrations propagating through water pipes. A water leakage monitoring device using such a detection method is configured based on the fact that water leakage is generally continuous and does not stop at a certain amount of water, and detects the interruption of the acoustic vibrations propagating through the water pipe to determine whether or not a water leakage has occurred.

[0003] Patent document 1 discloses a water meter that has a water meter cover that can be opened and closed to cover the measurement display panel of the water meter body, and that is equipped with a water leakage determination means that determines the possibility of a water leakage based on specific acoustic vibrations detected from the water meter body, an output means that outputs the determination results to the outside, and a built-in power supply that supplies operating power to each of the above means.

[0004] Patent document 2 discloses a water leakage monitoring device that can be removably attached to an existing water meter equipped with an openable and closable lid, and that can be opened and closed together with the lid or by opening and closing the lid alone, allowing for smooth meter reading and maintenance of the water meter. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2004-191139 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2017-102031 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The cover of the water meter with a leak monitoring function disclosed in Patent Document 1 is affixed with a standard conformity seal and a certification expiration date in accordance with the Measurement Act, so the cover itself cannot be replaced, and it would be costly to apply it to all water meters. For this reason, there were problems such as it being difficult to install, and the replacement work being complicated when a malfunction occurs. Furthermore, since the cover of a normal water meter is equipped with a leak monitoring function, depending on how it is handled, it may cause problems with meter reading work.

[0007] The water leakage monitoring device disclosed in Patent Document 2 is structured to be placed between the top surface of the upper case of the water meter and the lid, and detects vibration noise caused by water leakage through the glass surface of the upper case. However, the vibration noise caused by water leakage propagates from the lower case to the upper case of the water meter through the piping. Since the lower case and the upper case are screwed together with metal, the vibration noise is not attenuated much until it reaches the upper case, but since the glass surface is only lightly pressed against it, the water leakage sound is attenuated. For this reason, there is a problem in that it is difficult to accurately determine the presence or absence of water leakage just by detecting the vibration of the glass surface of the upper case.

[0008] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT An object of the present invention is to provide a water leakage detection device and a meter reading unit that can be easily and stably attached to an existing water meter and that enables highly accurate water leakage detection in a short period of time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above problems, the water leakage detection device of the present invention is a water leakage detection device that is detachably attached to the upper case of a water meter, and comprises a water leakage detection unit and a holding unit, wherein the water leakage detection unit has a vibration sensor, and the holding unit has an upper surface holding unit that holds the upper surface of the upper case and a lower surface holding unit that holds the lower surface of the upper case, the upper surface holding unit has a pressing movable member that presses the upper surface of the upper case via a spring member, and the water leakage detection unit is provided on the pressing movable member, and the lower surface holding unit has an engaging leg that engages with the lower surface of the upper case, and by placing the bottom of the pressing movable member on the upper surface of the upper case of the water meter, the upper case is held in a clamped manner by the engaging leg and the elastic force of the spring member. Effect of the Invention

[0010] The water leakage detection device according to the present invention is structured such that the upper case of the water meter, which is directly subjected to vibrations caused by water leakage, is elastically clamped from the top and bottom sides by the holding part consisting of the upper holding part and the lower holding part. The water meter is composed of a lower case and an upper case, which are made of the same metal joined together, and vibrations caused by water leakage are transmitted directly from the lower case to the upper case. For this reason, it is possible to perform water leakage detection more accurately by detecting the upper case, which has less vibration attenuation, with the vibration sensor of the water leakage detection part. In addition, the holding part is structured to engage with the underside of the upper case by the engagement legs, so that the device can be stably attached to the upper case.

[0011] According to the meter reading unit of the present invention, the above-mentioned water leak detection device can be combined with a meter reading terminal having the function of reading water usage, making it possible to efficiently detect water leaks simultaneously with normal meter reading work. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of a meter reading unit of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the water leakage detection device attached to a water meter. [Diagram 3]FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a perspective view of a cross section of the water leakage detection device as seen from below. FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a meter reading unit that combines a water leakage detection device and a meter reading terminal. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a water leakage detection device and a meter reading unit according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 shows an example of the configuration of a meter reading unit 40 consisting of a water leakage detection device 21 that is attached to a water meter 11 and used, and a meter reading terminal 41 that is used together with this water leakage detection device 21.

[0014] The water meter 11 is a standard product that can be attached to a water pipe drawn into each home, and is composed of a lower case 12 to which the water pipe (not shown) is attached, and an upper case 13 having a transparent glass window 16 that covers the metering display unit (not shown) and a frame 14 that surrounds this glass window 16. The glass window 16 is normally closed by a lid 17, and is opened when meter reading or maintenance is performed. A label listing information such as the expiration date of the water meter 11 is affixed to the back of the lid 17 so that it can be checked during meter reading or maintenance.

[0015] The water leakage detection device 21 of the present invention is miniaturized to a size that can be carried by a meter reader when reading a meter using the meter reading terminal 41, and is capable of determining the presence or absence of a water leakage simply by attaching it to the upper case 13 of the water meter 11. In addition, since it has a stable attachment structure that is easy to attach and detach from the upper case 13 of the water meter 11, the device also provides high accuracy in determining the presence or absence of a water leakage.

[0016] 2 and 3, the water leakage detection device 21 includes a holding part 23 that detachably engages with the upper case 13 of the water meter 11, and a water leakage detection part 22 built into the holding part 23. The holding part 23 is made up of an upper surface holding part 24 that holds an upper part of the upper case 13 of the water meter 11, and a lower surface holding part 25 that holds a lower part of the upper case 13, and is detachable from the side direction of the upper case 13. The upper surface holding part 24 includes a pressing movable member 27 having a circular bottom part (pressing surface) 26 that abuts against a part of the upper surface 14a of the frame 14 of the upper case 13, a pressing fixing member 28 that holds the pressing movable member 27 movably in the vertical direction, and a pressing member 29 that applies a pressing force to the pressing movable member 27. The pressing member 29 is composed of a spring member 30 such as a coil spring, and a spring housing portion 31 that houses the spring member 30 and engages with the inner peripheral surface of the pressing moving member 27. The water leakage detection portion 22 is provided at the center of the bottom surface 31a of the spring housing portion 31, and biases the pressing moving member 27 downward. In addition, a spacer 32 that guides the sliding of the pressing moving member 27 is provided on the inner peripheral bottom surface of the pressing fixing member 28. This spacer 32 has the role of preventing the pressing moving member 27 from shaking and allowing the pressing surface 26 to stably press the frame 14 of the upper case 13.

[0017] As shown in Fig. 4, the lower surface holding portion 25 of the holding portion 23 has an arc-shaped side holding portion 33 that extends from the lower end of the pressing fixing member 28 of the upper surface holding portion 24 and guards by surrounding a portion of the side surface of the upper case 13, and a pair of engagement legs 34 that engage along the bottom surface of the upper case 13 of the water meter 11 from both sides of the lower end of the side holding portion 33. As shown in Fig. 1, the pair of engagement legs 34 are formed in an arc shape so as to follow the bottom outer periphery 15 of the upper case 13, and the tip portions 34a are inclined slightly outward so as to easily engage from the side surface of the upper case 13.

[0018] The water leakage detection unit 22 includes a vibration sensor 36, a signal conversion unit (not shown) that converts the vibration level detected by the vibration sensor 36 into an electric signal, and an alarm unit 35 that notifies the outside of the signal converted by the signal conversion unit according to the level. The water leakage detection unit 22 is housed in the bottom of the pressure applying member 29, and detects the vibration of the entire upper case 13 via the frame 14 of the water meter 11 against which the pressing surface 26 of the pressing movable member 27 is in contact. The vibration sensor 36 uses a piezoelectric element that can convert minute vibrations into an electric signal for detection.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, the meter reading unit 40 is composed of the water leakage detection device 21 and the meter reading terminal 41. The meter reading terminal 41 has a function of reading the amount of water usage measured by the water meter 11, and a receiving unit and a notification unit that receive the vibration level detected by the water leakage detection device 21. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the holding unit 23 is provided with an output contact unit 37 that outputs the change in voltage detected by the vibration sensor 36, and the meter reading terminal 41 is connected via the output contact unit 37 as shown in FIG. 5. Then, the meter reading terminal 41 is configured to display the presence or absence of water leakage. In addition, when the holding unit 23 is used alone, for example, an LED, a speaker, or the like is provided as the notification unit 35 provided in the holding unit 23, and in the case of an LED, the light color can be changed stepwise according to the vibration level, and in the case of a speaker, an alarm sound can be emitted.

[0020] As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the water leakage detection device 21 is attached from the side to the upper case 13 with the cover 17 of the water meter 11 open. At this time, the entire holding part 23 is pressed downward and placed against the side of the upper case 13 so that the pressing surface 26 of the upper holding part 24 rests on the frame 14 of the upper case 13 of the water meter 11, and is pressed until the inner side of the side holding part 33 abuts against the side of the upper case 13. Then, when the pressing surface 26 rests on the frame 14 of the upper case 13, the pressing of the holding part 23 is released. As a result, the biasing force of the pressing member 29 in which the spring member 30 is housed acts, and the pair of engaging legs 34 of the lower holding part 25 engage with the bottom outer periphery 15 of the upper case 13 so as to push up. In this way, the water leakage detection device 21 can be fixed to the side of the upper case 13 with a single touch. By leaving this state for several seconds, the water leakage detection unit 22 detects the presence or absence of water leakage and notifies the notification unit 35.

[0021] The water leakage detection unit 22 can determine the presence or absence of water leakage in about a few seconds by time integrating the signal detected by the vibration sensor and analyzing the waveform. In addition, by providing a recording function, it is also possible to determine the presence or absence of water leakage by abnormal sounds.

[0022] When the water leakage detection unit 22 judges that there is a leak, it causes the notification unit 35, which is made up of an LED or the like and is provided in the holding unit 23, to light up. This allows the meter reader to easily check the presence or absence of a leak by simply visually checking the notification unit 35 when investigating the amount of water usage.

[0023] The water leakage detection device 21 of the present invention can be attached to almost all existing water meters 11 having an upper case 13 that can be opened and closed by a lid 17.

[0024] As described above, the water leakage detection device 21 can detect water leakage by itself and notify the result to the outside, but as shown in FIG. 1, it can be configured as a meter reading unit 40 including a meter reading terminal 41 such as a handheld terminal. In order to configure such a unit, the meter reading terminal 41 needs to have a meter reading function as well as a receiving unit and a notification unit that receive the vibration level detected by the water leakage detection device 21. The meter reading terminal 41 has a liquid crystal screen, so the presence or absence of water leakage and its level may be displayed on the liquid crystal screen. As described above, the transmission from the water leakage detection device 21 to the meter reading terminal 41 can be electrically connected via the output contact unit 37 provided in the holding unit 23, or a wired connection such as USB or a wireless connection such as Bluetooth can be used. Also, as shown in FIG. 5, by providing an attachment unit for setting the meter reading terminal 41 in the water leakage detection device 21, it can be used as an integrated unit.

[0025] The above-mentioned leak notification forms and connection forms are merely examples and are not limited to these. The meter reading unit 40 may be configured such that the leak detection device 21 and the meter reading terminal 41 are separate entities or may be integrated together.

[0026] In conventional leak inspections, a professional leak inspector uses a listening rod or the like to search for leaks on the supply side of a water pipe, which requires a lot of cost and time for the inspection. In contrast, the leak detection device 21 of the present invention is compact and easily attached and detached by clamping the upper case of the water meter, so it can be carried along with the meter reading terminal 41 and leak inspection can be performed at the same time as meter reading. This can significantly reduce inspection costs and time. In addition, since the target for detecting vibrations is the entire upper case, the accuracy of leak detection can be improved compared to the conventional simple method of detecting vibrations of the glass window of the upper case. [Explanation of symbols]

[0027] 11 Water meter 12 Lower case 13 Upper case 14 Frame 15 Bottom perimeter 16 Glass Window 17 Lid 21 Water leak detection device 22 Water leak detection unit 23 Holding part 24 Top holding part 25 Lower surface holding part 26 Pressing surface (bottom) 27 Pressing and moving member 28 Pressing and fixing member 29 Pressurizing member 30 Spring member 31 Spring housing 31a Bottom 32 Spacer 33 Side holding part 34 Engagement leg 34a Tip 35 Notification Department 36 Vibration Sensor 37 Output contact section 40 Meter Reading Unit 41 Meter reading terminal

Claims

1. A water leakage detection device that is detachably attached to an upper case of a water meter, The device includes a water leakage detection unit and a holding unit, The water leakage detection unit has a vibration sensor, the holding portion includes an upper surface holding portion that holds an upper surface of the upper case and a lower surface holding portion that holds a lower surface of the upper case, The upper surface holding portion includes a pressing and moving member that presses the upper surface of the upper case via a spring member, and the water leakage detection portion is provided on the pressing and moving member, the lower surface holding portion has an engagement leg portion that engages with the lower surface of the upper case, The water leakage detection device has a bottom portion of the pressing movable member placed on the top surface of the upper case of the water meter, whereby the upper case is sandwiched and held therein by the elastic force of the engaging leg portion and the spring member.

2. The water leakage detection device according to claim 1, wherein the upper surface holding portion comprises the pressing movable member and a pressing fixed member that holds the pressing movable member so that the pressing movable member can move up and down, and a spacer is provided on an inner surface of the pressing fixed member to slide and guide the pressing movable member.

3. 2. The water leakage detection device according to claim 1, wherein the upper case of the water meter is sandwiched from the top and bottom sides by the engaging leg portion which engages with the bottom surface of the upper case of the water meter and a pressing movable member which elastically presses against the top surface of the upper case.

4. 2. The water leakage detection device according to claim 1, wherein the holding portion is provided with an annunciation portion that notifies a vibration level signal detected by the vibration sensor.

5. A meter reading unit comprising the water leakage detection device according to claim 1 and a meter reading terminal, The water leakage detection device is detachably attached to the meter reading terminal.

6. The meter reading unit according to claim 5 , wherein the meter reading terminal is disposed on an upper portion of an upper surface holding member of the water leakage detection device.

7. The meter reading unit according to claim 5, wherein a vibration level signal detected by a water leakage detection device is transmitted to the meter reading terminal.

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