Gas meter

Abstract

To provide a gas meter capable of more easily holding a predetermined electronic component such as a seismic sensing device in the gas meter and having excellent workability in attachment without directly attaching the electronic component to an electronic substrate and without screwing the electronic component to a housing or the like of the gas meter.SOLUTION: A gas meter 1 includes an electronic substrate holding case 20 that holds an electronic substrate 31, on which a control device for controlling operation of the gas meter is mounted, in the gas meter. Electronic components mounted in the gas meter 1 have a substrate-mounted electronic component mounted on the electronic substrate 31, a non-substrate-mounted electronic component not mounted on the electronic substrate, and a battery that supplies power to the substrate-mounted electronic component and the non-substrate-mounted electronic component. The gas meter includes the electronic substrate holding case 20 obtained by integrally molding a substrate holding portion 21 that holds a mounted electronic substrate 30, which is an electronic substrate on which the substrate-mounted electronic component is mounted, in the gas meter 1, and a non-substrate holding portion 22 that holds at least a part of the non-substrate-mounted electronic component.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a gas meter equipped with an electronic board holding case that holds an electronic board mounted with a control device that controls the operation of the gas meter inside the gas meter. [Background technology]

[0002] Gas meters have built-in seismic sensors that detect vibrations caused by earthquakes and output detection signals to a control device. The gas meter's control device has a seismic shutoff function that shuts off the gas supply when it detects an earthquake based on the detection signal from the seismic sensor. A typical seismic sensor has a built-in steel ball that vibrates during an earthquake, mechanically turning a switch on and off, and the control device determines whether or not an earthquake has occurred based on this ON / OFF pattern. Furthermore, because the seismic sensor has a built-in steel ball, it is relatively large and cylindrical, with a diameter of approximately 15 mm and a length of approximately 20 mm. A method for properly and relatively easily installing this seismic sensor in a gas meter is desired.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a gas meter in which a seismic sensor is directly fixed to an electronic board inside the gas meter. Patent Document 2 discloses a gas meter in which a seismic sensor (corresponding to a seismic sensor) is screwed into the gas meter. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-123153 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-116604 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] When mounting a seismic sensor inside a gas meter, the method of directly mounting the sensor on an electronic circuit board, as in Patent Document 1, requires space on the electronic circuit board to mount a relatively large seismic sensor. In recent years, gas meters have become smart meters, and various circuits, such as wireless circuits, have been added, reducing the space available for mounting the seismic sensor on the electronic circuit board. Furthermore, when mounting a seismic sensor on an electronic circuit board, the terminals of the seismic sensor are often soldered to the electronic circuit board. However, this is not recommended because stress caused by vibrations from the seismic sensor over a relatively long period of time can cause cracks in the solder. To avoid this, a method of screwing the seismic sensor to the electronic circuit board is also available, but this method is not recommended because it makes the installation process more difficult. Therefore, it is preferable not to mount the seismic sensor directly on the electronic circuit board.

[0006] As in Patent Document 2, there is a method of screwing the seismic sensor to a location inside the gas meter separate from the electronic board (such as the gas meter housing), but this is not preferred as the installation work is not easy.It is preferable not to attach the seismic sensor directly to the electronic board, but the method of screwing it to the gas meter housing, etc. is not preferred.

[0007] The present invention was devised in light of the above points, and aims to provide a gas meter that is easy to install and that allows predetermined electronic components such as a seismic sensor to be more easily held within the gas meter without directly attaching them to an electronic board or screwing them to the gas meter housing, etc. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above problems, a first invention is a gas meter including an electronic board holding case that holds, within the gas meter, an electronic board on which a control device that controls the operation of the gas meter is mounted. The electronic components mounted on the gas meter include board-mounted electronic components that are mounted on the electronic board, non-board-mounted electronic components that are not mounted on the electronic board, and a battery that supplies power to the board-mounted electronic components and the non-board-mounted electronic components. The gas meter includes the electronic board holding case, in which a board holding section that holds, within the gas meter, the mounted electronic board on which the board-mounted electronic components are mounted, and a non-board holding section that holds at least some of the non-board-mounted electronic components are integrally molded.

[0009] Next, the second invention is a gas meter according to the first invention, wherein the non-board mounted electronic component held by the non-board holding portion is a seismic sensor including a seismometer or acceleration detection device that outputs a detection signal in response to an earthquake.

[0010] Next, the third invention is a gas meter according to the second invention, wherein when the electronic board holding case holding the mounted electronic board and the seismic sensor is viewed from a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction of the mounted electronic board, the seismic sensor is contained within the thickness of the mounted electronic board and the electronic board holding case, without protruding in the thickness direction of the mounted electronic board and the electronic board holding case.

[0011] Next, a fourth invention is a gas meter according to any one of the first to third inventions, wherein the non-board holding portion has an accommodating recess for accommodating the non-board mounted electronic component to be held, and a plurality of claw portions for holding the non-board mounted electronic component to be held in the accommodating recess.

[0012] Next, a fifth invention is a gas meter according to any one of the first to third inventions, wherein the board holding portion has a board insertion portion into which an edge portion on one end side of the mounted electronic board is inserted, and a board locking portion that locks an edge portion on the other end side of the mounted electronic board. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the first aspect of the present invention, a non-board-mounted electronic component such as a seismic sensor can be held in an electronic board holding case in which a board holding section and a non-board holding section are integrally molded. This makes it possible to provide a gas meter with good installation workability, whereby predetermined electronic components such as a seismic sensor (at least some of the non-board-mounted electronic components) can be more easily held in the gas meter without directly attaching them to the electronic board and without screwing them to the gas meter housing or the like.

[0014] According to the second invention, by attaching the seismic sensor to a non-board holding part, the seismic sensor can be more easily held within the gas meter without being attached directly to the electronic board and without being screwed to the gas meter casing, etc.

[0015] According to the third aspect of the present invention, the seismic sensor attached to the non-board holding portion can be appropriately prevented from interfering with other locations within the gas meter.

[0016] According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to realize a structure of a non-board holding portion that allows for easy attachment of a non-board mounted electronic component to be held on the non-board holding portion.

[0017] According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to realize a structure of a board holding section that allows for easy attachment of a mounted electronic board to an electronic board holding case. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an example of the appearance of a gas meter. [Figure 2]FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an example of the structure and assembly procedure of a gas meter. [Figure 3] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating an example of the appearance of an electronic board holding case. [Figure 4] 4 is a view of the electronic board holding case shown in FIG. 3 as viewed from direction IV. [Figure 5] 4 is a view of the electronic board holding case shown in FIG. 3 as seen from the V direction. [Figure 6] 6 is a cross-sectional view of the electronic board holding case taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 3, illustrating the structure of a non-board holding portion. [Figure 7] 7 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a non-board-mounted electronic component (in this case, a seismic sensor) is attached to the non-board holding portion shown in FIG. 6. FIG. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of attaching a mounted electronic board to an electronic board holding case, and illustrating how an edge portion on one end of the mounted electronic board is inserted into a board insertion portion. [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of attaching a mounted electronic board to an electronic board holding case, and illustrating how the edge on the other end of the mounted electronic board is pushed toward the electronic board holding case. [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of attaching a mounted electronic board to an electronic board holding case, illustrating a state in which the mounted electronic board is held in the electronic board holding case. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The same reference numbers in the description refer to the same elements having the same functions, although duplicate explanations will not be given. Note that when an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis are shown in the drawings, the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis are perpendicular to one another, and as shown in FIG. 1, the X-axis direction indicates the direction toward the right when viewing the gas meter 1 from the front. Also as shown in FIG. 1, the Y-axis direction indicates the depth direction of the gas meter 1, and the Z-axis direction indicates the direction toward the top of the gas meter 1.

[0020] <External view of Gas Meter 1 (Fig. 1)> First, the external appearance of the gas meter 1 will be described using Figure 1. The gas meter 1 has a meter unit 10 equipped with a flow rate detection device that detects the flow rate of gas and the like in a main body case 2, a front panel 4 that covers the meter unit 10, a cover 5, and the like.

[0021] The gas meter 1 also has an inlet 3a for letting gas in, an outlet 3b for letting gas out, a display window 4a which is an LCD window that displays the measured gas flow rate, etc., and a reset button 4b that returns the meter to normal operation after a gas cutoff state due to an earthquake or other reason.

[0022] <Gas meter 1 structure and assembly procedure (Figure 2)> Next, an example of the structure and assembly procedure of the gas meter 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 2, the gas meter 1 is assembled with a meter unit 10, an electronic board holding case 20, a mounted electronic board 30, a front panel 4, a cover 5, etc.

[0023] Various electronic components are mounted inside the gas meter 1, including board-mounted electronic components mounted on the electronic board 31, non-board-mounted electronic components not mounted on the electronic board 31, and a battery Bat (see FIGS. 4 and 5) that supplies power to the board-mounted electronic components and non-board-mounted electronic components. In the example of FIG. 2, the board-mounted electronic components mounted on the electronic board 31 correspond to the liquid crystal circuit M1, integrated circuits M2 and M3, connectors C1b, C2b, and C3b, the reset switch S1, and communication terminals T1, T2, T3, and T4. Also in the example of FIG. 2, the non-board-mounted electronic component not mounted on the electronic board 31 corresponds to the seismic sensor 40. The electronic board 31 is equipped with a control device (CPU) and other components (integrated circuits M2 and M3) that control the operation of the gas meter 1.

[0024] The meter unit 10 incorporates, within the main body case 2, a flow rate detector (for example, an ultrasonic flow rate detector) that detects the flow rate of gas, a shutoff valve that shuts off the gas, a pressure detector that detects the pressure of the gas, and the like. These are not shown in the figure, but their wiring is connected to connectors C1a and C2a. Note that the flow rate detector, shutoff valve, pressure detector, and the like, which are not shown, correspond to non-board-mounted electronic components, but are electronic components that are incorporated into the gas flow path and have fixed positions, and therefore are not attached to the electronic board holding case 20.

[0025] The electronic board holding case 20 is fitted with a mounted electronic board 30, which is an electronic board 31 on which board-mounted electronic components are mounted, and a seismic sensor 40 (corresponding to at least some of the non-board-mounted electronic components), and is then attached to the meter unit 10 with screws N1. Connector C1a is connected to connector C1b of the mounted electronic board 30, connector C2a is connected to connector C2b of the mounted electronic board 30, and connector C3a is connected to connector C3b of the mounted electronic board 30. Connector C3t at the other end of connector C3a is connected to terminal 41 of the seismic sensor 40.

[0026] Thereafter, the front panel 4 is attached to the meter unit 10 with screws N2. A display window 4a on the front panel 4 covers the display portion of the liquid crystal circuit M1 mounted on the mounted electronic board 30. A reset button 4b (an elastic body such as silicone rubber) on the front panel 4 covers a reset switch S1 mounted on the mounted electronic board 30. An opening 4c on the front panel 4 exposes communication terminals T1, T2, T3, and T4 mounted on the mounted electronic board 30.

[0027] Thereafter, the cover 5 is attached to the front panel 4 with the screws N3 to close the opening 4c.

[0028] The seismic sensor 40 (at least some of the non-board-mounted electronic components) may be located anywhere within the gas meter 1, but it is preferable that it be easy to install. The seismic sensor 40 is, for example, a so-called seismometer that contains a steel ball that swings in response to an earthquake and outputs a detection signal that turns an electrode on and off. A control device (CPU) mounted on the mounted electronic board 30 determines the presence or absence of an earthquake based on the pattern of the ON / OFF signal. The seismic sensor 40 has a roughly cylindrical shape, with dimensions of approximately 15 mm in diameter and 20 mm in length. In recent years, the electronic board 31 of the gas meter 1 has been equipped with various electronic circuits, etc., and there is less and less space available for mounting the seismic sensor 40.

[0029] In the gas meter 1 of this embodiment, the seismic sensor 40 is attached by fitting it into the non-board holding portion 22 that is integrally molded with the electronic board holding case 20 (see Figures 3 and 4), so there is no problem even if there is not enough space on the electronic board 31 to mount the seismic sensor 40. Furthermore, since the seismic sensor 40 is attached by fitting it into the non-board holding portion 22 that is integrally molded with the electronic board holding case 20 rather than by screws, installation workability is improved. Below, details of the electronic board holding case 20 in which the non-board holding portion 22 and board holding portion 21 are integrally molded will be described.

[0030] <Structure of the electronic board holding case 20 and the state in which the seismic sensor 40 is held by the non-board holding portion 22 (FIGS. 3 to 7)> The electronic board holding case 20 is made of an insulating and elastic resin or the like, and the board holding portion 21 and the non-board holding portion 22 are integrally molded. In the electronic board holding case 20, the non-board holding portion 22 that holds at least some of the non-board-mounted electronic components is integrally molded with the board holding portion 21. Therefore, the non-board-mounted electronic components in question do not need to be screwed to the housing of the gas meter or the like, and can be easily held by the non-board holding portion 22. In the explanation of this embodiment, an example will be given in which the non-board-mounted electronic component held by the non-board holding portion 22 is a seismic sensor 40 (see FIG. 2).

[0031] The board holding portion 21 is a portion that holds the mounted electronic board 30 (see FIG. 2). The board holding portion 21 has a holding surface 21a, a board insertion portion 21b, a board locking portion 21c, a first guide 21d, a second guide 21e, a battery holder 21f, and legs 21g.

[0032] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 10, the holding surface 21a is a surface on which the mounted electronic board 30 is placed and held.

[0033] 8 to 10, the board insertion portion 21b is a portion into which the edge portion 30a (corner portion of the edge portion 30a) on one end side of the mounted electronic board 30 is inserted, and has a triangular prism-shaped hollow portion formed therein. As shown in Fig. 10, the board locking portion 21c is a portion that locks the edge portion 30b on the other end side of the mounted electronic board 30. The mounted electronic board 30 is sandwiched and held in the X-axis direction and Y-axis direction with respect to the electronic board holding case 20 by the board insertion portion 21b and the board locking portion 21c using the elastic force of the resin, and is positioned in the X-axis direction and Y-axis direction with respect to the electronic board holding case 20.

[0034] 10, the first guide 21d is a location against which an edge 30c of the mounted electronic board 30 abuts, and is used to position the mounted electronic board 30 relative to the electronic board holding case 20. Similarly, the second guide 21e is a location against which an edge 30d of the mounted electronic board 30 abuts, and is used to position the mounted electronic board 30 relative to the electronic board holding case 20, as shown in Fig. 10. The mounted electronic board 30 is sandwiched and held in the Z-axis direction relative to the electronic board holding case 20 by the first guide 21d and the second guide 21e using the elastic force of the resin, and is positioned in the Z-axis direction relative to the electronic board holding case 20.

[0035] 4 and 5, the battery holder 21f holds the battery Bat. Furthermore, the legs 21g keep the electronic board holding case 20 stable when the electronic board holding case 20 is attached inside the meter unit 10, as shown in FIG.

[0036] The non-board holding portion 22 is a portion for holding at least some of the non-board-mounted electronic components, and in this embodiment, an example of holding a seismic sensor 40 (see Figures 3 and 4) is described. When the seismic sensor 40 is attached to the non-board holding portion 22, a connector C3t must be attached to the terminal 41 of the seismic sensor 40, as shown in Figure 2, so the non-board holding portion 22 is attached so that the terminal 41 is exposed. The non-board holding portion 22 has a frame portion 22a, a storage recess 22b, an outer periphery holding portion 22c (corresponding to the claw portion), an upper surface locking portion 22d (corresponding to the claw portion), a bottom surface locking portion 22e (corresponding to the claw portion), etc. The outer periphery holding portion 22c, the upper surface locking portion 22d, and the bottom surface locking portion 22e correspond to the multiple claw portions that hold the non-board-mounted electronic component (in this case, the seismic sensor 40) to be held in the storage recess 22b.

[0037] The frame portion 22a is a frame portion for surrounding and holding the non-board mounted electronic component to be held (in this case, the seismic sensor 40). In the example shown in Figure 3, the seismic sensor 40 attached to the non-board holding portion 22 is held by being surrounded by the frame portion 22a.

[0038] The storage recess 22b is a recess (hollow portion) that houses the non-board-mounted electronic component to be held (in this case, the seismic sensor 40). As shown in the example of Figures 3 and 4, the seismic sensor 40 attached to the non-board holding portion 22 is housed and held in the storage recess 22b, surrounded by the frame portion 22a.

[0039] As shown in Figure 4, the outer peripheral holding portion 22c is a claw portion that contacts the outer peripheral surface of the seismic sensor 40, which has an approximately cylindrical shape, and holds the outer peripheral surface 44 of the seismic sensor 40 (see Figure 7) using the elastic force of the resin.

[0040] 6 and 7, the upper surface engaging portion 22d comes into contact with the upper surface 42 of the seismic sensor 40, which has a generally cylindrical shape, and its tip is engaged with the outer peripheral surface 44. The upper surface engaging portion 22d is a claw portion that uses the elastic force of the resin to position and hold the upper surface 42 and outer peripheral surface 44 of the seismic sensor 40 relative to the non-board holding portion 22.

[0041] 6 and 7, the bottom surface engaging portion 22e comes into contact with the bottom surface 43 of the seismic sensor 40, and its tip is engaged in a bottom surface edge groove 43a, which is a groove provided near the edge of the bottom surface 43. The bottom surface engaging portion 22e is a claw portion that uses the elastic force of the resin to position and hold the bottom surface 43 and bottom surface edge groove 43a of the seismic sensor 40 relative to the non-board holding portion 22.

[0042] As shown in Figure 5, when the electronic board holding case 20 holding the mounted electronic board 30 and the seismic sensor 40 is viewed from a direction (X-axis direction in the example of Figure 5) perpendicular to the thickness direction (Y-axis direction) of the mounted electronic board 30, the seismic sensor 40 does not protrude in the thickness direction (Y-axis direction) of the mounted electronic board 30 and the electronic board holding case 20, but is contained within the thickness H1 of the mounted electronic board 30 and the electronic board holding case 20. In other words, in Figure 5, the thickness H2 of the seismic sensor 40 is contained within the thickness H1 of the mounted electronic board 30 and the electronic board holding case 20, and does not protrude beyond the thickness H1. Therefore, the seismic sensor 40 is held in an appropriate position without interfering with the front panel 4 (see Figure 2) or the meter unit 10 (see Figure 2).

[0043] <Attaching the Mounted Electronic Board 30 to the Electronic Board Holding Case 20 (FIGS. 8 to 10)> Next, an example of a procedure for attaching and holding the mounted electronic board 30 in the electronic board holding case 20 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0044] As shown in Figure 8, the worker tilts the mounted electronic board 30 relative to the electronic board holding case 20 and inserts the corner of the edge 30a on one end side of the mounted electronic board 30 into the board insertion portion 21b of the electronic board holding case 20.

[0045] Next, as shown in FIG. 9, the worker inserts the edge 30a on one end side of the mounted electronic board 30 into the board insertion portion 21b, and then pushes the edge 30b on the other end side toward the electronic board holding case 20.

[0046] 10, the board locking portion 21c locks the edge portion 30b on the other end side of the mounted electronic board 30. Furthermore, the first guide 21d comes into contact with the edge portion 30c of the mounted electronic board 30, and the second guide 21e comes into contact with the edge portion 30d of the mounted electronic board 30. As a result, the mounted electronic board 30 is sandwiched between the board insertion portion 21b and the board locking portion 21c, and is positioned and held in the X-axis and Y-axis directions with respect to the electronic board holding case 20. Furthermore, the mounted electronic board 30 is sandwiched between the first guide 21d and the second guide 21e, and is positioned and held in the Z-axis direction with respect to the electronic board holding case 20.

[0047] The gas meter 1 of the present invention is not limited to the appearance, shape, configuration, structure, etc. described in this embodiment, and various modifications, additions, and deletions are possible within the scope that does not change the gist of the present invention.

[0048] In the description of this embodiment, the seismic sensor 40 has been used as an example of a non-board-mounted electronic component held by the non-board holding portion 22, but the non-board-mounted electronic component held by the non-board holding portion 22 is not limited to the seismic sensor 40. Also, a seismic sensor with a built-in steel ball has been used as an example of the seismic sensor 40, but the seismic sensor 40 is not limited to this and includes a seismic sensor with a built-in steel ball, an acceleration detection device that detects acceleration, etc.

[0049] Furthermore, the numerical values ​​used in the description of this embodiment are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these numerical values. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 1 Gas meter 2 Main unit case 3a Inlet 3b Outlet 4 Front Panel 4a Display window 4b Return button 4c opening 5 Cover 10 meter units 20 Electronic board holding case 21 Board holding part 21a Holding surface 21b Board insertion part 21c Board locking part 21d First Guide 21e 2nd Guide 21f Battery holder 21g legs 22 Non-board holding part 22a Frame section 22b Receiving recess 22c Outer circumference holding part (claw part) 22d Upper surface locking part (claw part) 22e Bottom locking part (claw part) 30 Mounted electronic board 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d edges 31 Electronic board 40 Seismic sensor (non-board mounted electronic components) 41 terminals 42 Top surface 43 bottom 43a Bottom edge groove 44 Outer surface Bat battery C1a, C2a, C3a, C1b, C2b, C3b, C3t connectors H1, H2 thickness M1 LCD circuit (board mounted electronic components) M2, M3 Integrated circuits (board mounted electronic components) N1, N2, N3 screws S1 Reset switch (board mounted electronic component) T1, T2, T3, T4 Communication terminals (board mounted electronic components)

Claims

1. A gas meter including an electronic board holding case that holds an electronic board, on which a control device for controlling the operation of the gas meter is mounted, within the gas meter, The electronic components mounted on the gas meter include: a board-mounted electronic component mounted on the electronic board; a non-substrate-mounted electronic component that is not mounted on the electronic substrate; a battery for supplying power to the board-mounted electronic components and the non-board-mounted electronic components; There is, a substrate holder that holds, within the gas meter, a mounted electronic substrate on which the substrate-mounted electronic component is mounted; a non-board holding portion that holds at least some of the non-board mounted electronic components; The electronic board holding case is integrally formed with the electronic board. Gas meter.

2. 2. The gas meter according to claim 1, The non-board-mounted electronic component held by the non-board holding portion is a seismic sensor including a seismometer or an acceleration detection device that outputs a detection signal in response to an earthquake. Gas meter.

3. 3. The gas meter according to claim 2, When the electronic board holding case holding the mounted electronic board and the seismic sensor is viewed from a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction of the mounted electronic board, The seismic sensor is fitted within the thickness of the mounted electronic board and the electronic board holding case without protruding in the thickness direction of the mounted electronic board and the electronic board holding case. Gas meter.

4. The gas meter according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The non-substrate holding portion is a receiving recess for receiving the non-board-mounted electronic component to be held; a plurality of claws for holding the non-board-mounted electronic component to be held in the accommodating recess; It has Gas meter.

5. The gas meter according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The substrate holder includes: a board insertion portion into which an edge portion on one end of the mounted electronic board is inserted; a board locking portion that locks an edge portion on the other end side of the mounted electronic board; It has Gas meter.

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