Gas meter

Abstract

To provide a gas meter allowing a terminal board cover to be easily attached / detached without using a tool.SOLUTION: A gas meter includes: a main body having a terminal board; a front cover 5 configured to cover the main body so as to expose the terminal board; and a terminal board cover 7 disposed on the front cover 5 so as to cover the terminal board. The terminal board cover 7 includes a cover body 31 and a hook part 33 having a U-shape and disposed on a back side of the cover body 31. The hook part 33 includes a fixed-end 51; a free-end 53 spaced apart from the cover body 31; a movable part 55 being a portion closer to the free-end 53 than a center part 41 and elastically deformable to a fixed-end 51 side; and an engagement part 57 disposed on an outer contour of the U-shape of the movable part 55. The cover body 31 includes a pore 64 configured to expose the free-end 53 to a front side. The front cover 5 includes: an opening 65 into which the hook part 33 is inserted; and an engagement target part 67 disposed at an inner wall of the opening 65 and configured to engage with the engagement part 57.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a gas meter. [Background technology]

[0002] A gas meter includes a main body, which is a housing that houses a measuring unit that measures the gas flow rate and a control unit that controls the measuring unit, and a gas meter cover, which is an exterior member that covers the front of the main body. The gas meter also includes a terminal block with terminals for connecting to an external device. The terminal block is usually covered by the gas meter cover, but when connecting the external device to the gas meter, the terminal block must be exposed to connect the wiring of the external device to the terminals of the gas meter. Therefore, a known gas meter cover structure includes a front cover that is attached to the main body so that the terminal block is exposed, and a terminal block cover that is attached to the front cover and covers the terminal block. When connecting the external device to the gas meter with this structure, the terminal block cover is removed from the front cover to expose the terminal block, and the terminals on the terminal block are connected to the wiring of the external device. Once the connection is complete, the terminal block cover is attached to the front cover. One structure for attaching the terminal block cover to the front cover uses screws (see Patent Documents 1 and 2). On the other hand, a structure using screws requires screws in addition to the terminal block cover and front cover, as well as a female screw-side component to engage the screws, which increases the number of parts and increases costs. Furthermore, a structure using screws requires the use of tools to turn the screws when attaching or removing the terminal block cover, which reduces workability. To address this issue, a structure has been proposed in which a shaft is provided at one end of the terminal block cover and a locking protrusion that supports the shaft is provided at one end of the front cover (Patent Document 3). With this structure, the terminal block cover can be attached to the front cover without using screws by inserting the shaft into the locking protrusion, and the terminal block can be exposed without using tools by rotating the terminal block cover around the shaft. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-79754 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-315950 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-37968 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The structure described in Patent Document 3 is useful in that it allows the terminal block cover to be attached to the front cover without tools and the terminal block to be exposed without tools. However, when the terminal block cover is rotated to expose the terminal block using the structure described in Patent Document 3, the rotated terminal block cover blocks the side of the terminal block. In this state, if it is necessary to connect the wiring of an external device to the terminal from the side blocked by the terminal block cover, it is preferable to remove the terminal block cover. However, since the structure of Patent Document 3 has a shaft that is more fragile than the locking protrusion, there is a possibility that the shaft will break when attempting to pull the shaft out of the locking protrusion. This makes it difficult to remove the terminal block cover from the front cover without damaging it.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and its purpose is to provide a gas meter in which the terminal block cover can be easily attached / detached without using tools. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The gas meter of the present invention is a gas meter comprising: a box-shaped main body having an open front and a terminal block to be connected to an external device; a front cover that covers the front of the main body so that the terminal block is exposed; and a terminal block cover that is attached to the front cover so as to cover the terminal block. The terminal block cover comprises a cover main body that covers the terminal block; and a hook portion that is a U-shaped member that is attached to the back of the cover main body and engages with the front cover, with the central portion of the U-shape located rearward of the end portions. The hook portion comprises a fixed end that is one end of the U-shape fixed to the cover main body; a free end that is the other end spaced apart from the cover main body; a movable portion that is a portion closer to the free end than the central portion and can elastically deform toward the fixed end; and an engaging portion that is attached to the outer periphery of the U-shape of the movable portion and engages with the front cover. The cover main body has a hole that exposes the free end to the front side. The front cover comprises an opening into which the hook portion is inserted; and an engaged portion that is attached to the inner wall of the opening at a position opposite the engaging portion and engages with the engaging portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a gas meter in which the terminal block cover can be easily attached / detached without using tools. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a gas meter according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a front view of the front cover main body of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a front view of the terminal block cover of FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the terminal block cover of FIG. 1 as seen from the rear. [Figure 6] 2 is a perspective view of the terminal block cover of FIG. 1 as seen from below. FIG. [Figure 7] 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 1. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an exploded view of FIG. 7, showing the periphery of the hook portion. [Figure 9] 9A and 9B are diagrams showing a procedure for attaching the terminal block cover to the front cover, and correspond to FIG. 8. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a front view showing a terminal block cover of a gas meter according to a second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a front view showing a front cover of a gas meter according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The present invention will be described below in accordance with preferred embodiments. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown below and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. In addition, in the embodiments shown below, some components are omitted from illustration and description, but it goes without saying that publicly known or well-known technologies are applied as appropriate to the details of the omitted technologies within the scope of the content described below.

[0010] First, the schematic configuration of a gas meter according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 6. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a gas meter according to the first embodiment. Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a front view of the front cover main body of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a front view of the terminal block cover of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the terminal block cover of Fig. 1 as seen from behind. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the terminal block cover of Fig. 1 as seen from below. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the gas meter 1 includes a main body 3, a front cover 5, and a terminal block cover 7.

[0011] The main body 3 is a housing that houses the equipment necessary to measure the gas flow rate and is box-shaped with an open front. As shown in FIG. 2, the main body 3 includes a rear case 9, a gas flow path 11, a circuit board 13, and a terminal block 19. The rear case 9 is an exterior that houses other components of the main body 3 and is a metal box with a partial top and front open. The gas flow path 11 is a pipe through which the gas whose flow rate is to be measured flows. The gas flow path 11 is housed within the rear case 9, and the inlet and outlet of the pipe protrude outward from the open top of the rear case 9. The circuit board 13 is a wiring board that is housed within the rear case 9 and to which a measuring unit (not shown) that measures the flow rate of gas flowing through the gas flow path 11 and a control unit (not shown) that controls the measuring unit are connected. In FIG. 2, the circuit board 13 is provided with a display unit 23 made of a liquid crystal display or the like. The display unit 23 is a part that displays the cause of an abnormality, such as a gas leak, in the gas meter 1 using text and graphics. The terminal block 19 is a block for connecting the gas meter 1 to an external device (not shown), and is disposed on the substrate 13 and connected to wiring (not shown) of the external device. More specifically, the terminal block 19 has a terminal (not shown), and the external device and the terminal block 19 are connected by connecting this terminal to the wiring of the external device.

[0012] The front cover 5 is a member made of, for example, resin, that covers the front of the main body 3 so as to expose the terminal block 19 and prevent water, dust, and the like from entering the inside of the main body 3. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the front cover 5 has a first opening 25. The first opening 25 is an opening formed in a portion that faces the terminal block 19 when the front cover 5 is covering the front of the main body 3, and has a size and shape that allows the terminal block 19 to be exposed from the first opening 25. The front cover 5 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 also has a second opening 27. The second opening 27 is an opening formed in a portion that faces the display unit 23 when the front cover 5 is covering the front of the main body 3, and has a size and shape that allows the display unit 23 to be exposed from the second opening 27.

[0013] 1, 2, and 4 is an exterior made of resin or the like that protects the terminal block 19, and is provided on the front cover 5 so as to cover the terminal block 19. This completes the description of the schematic configuration of the gas meter 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0014] Next, a structure for attaching / detaching the terminal block cover 7 in the gas meter 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3 to Fig. 8. Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is an exploded view of Fig. 7, showing the periphery of the hook portion.

[0015] As shown in FIGS. 4 to 8, the terminal block cover 7 has a cover body 31, a hook portion 33, a first recess 63, a first protrusion 66, a rib 34, and an anti-slip surface 40. The cover body 31 is a cover that covers the terminal block 19 (see FIG. 2), and as shown in FIG. 5, it includes a front plate 32, a left side plate 35 (side plate), a right side plate 37 (side plate), and a bottom plate 39. The front plate 32 is a plate-like member that faces the terminal block 19. The left side plate 35 is a plate-like member that protrudes rearward from the left end of the front plate 32. The right side plate 37 is a plate-like member that protrudes rearward from the right end of the front plate 32. The bottom plate 39 is a plate-like member that protrudes rearward from the lower end of the front plate 32, and its left end is connected to the left side plate 35 and its right end is connected to the right side plate 37.

[0016] The hook portion 33 is a member that holds the terminal block cover 7 to the front cover 5 by engaging with the front cover 5. The hook portion 33 is a U-shaped member provided on the back surface of the front plate 32 of the cover main body 31. As shown in FIG. 8, a central portion 41, which connects the outer and inner ends of the bent portion of the U, is located rearward of the end portions 43. The hook portion 33 is U-shaped in side view, and as shown in FIG. 7, the two end portions 43 of the U are aligned vertically. Two (a pair) of hook portions 33 are provided, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, so that one is located on each side of the terminal block 19 when the terminal block cover 7 is attached to the front cover 5. In the following description, the left hook portion 33, as viewed from the front of the terminal block cover 7, is referred to as hook portion 33a, and the right hook portion 33 is referred to as hook portion 33b. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the hook portion 33 includes a fixed end 51, a free end 53, a movable portion 55, an engaging portion 57, a fixed portion 59, and a fixed plate 61.

[0017] The fixed end 51 is one end of the U-shape fixed to the cover body 31 and is the lower end 43 of the two ends 43 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. The free end 53 is the other end separated from the cover body 31 and is the upper end 43 of the two ends 43 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. The movable portion 55 is a portion that deforms when the terminal block cover 7 is attached or detached, and is a portion closer to the free end 53 than the central portion 41. In FIG. 8, the movable portion 55 is the upper half of the hook portion 33. When pressed toward the fixed end 51, the movable portion 55 can elastically deform toward the fixed end 51 (see FIG. 9(b)). As shown in FIG. 8, the cover body 31 has a hole 64 that exposes the free end 53 to the front side, allowing an operator's finger to contact the free end 53 from the front side of the cover body 31 and press it toward the fixed end 51. As shown in FIG. 8, the tip portion 55a, which is the tip of the movable portion 55 including the free end 53, has a recessed, thin-walled top surface to prevent the finger from slipping backward (in the direction of C1) when it comes into contact with the tip portion 55a. However, it is preferable that the free end 53 be flush with the front surface of the terminal block cover 7 or positioned further back than the front surface. This prevents the free end 53 from protruding forward from the front surface of the terminal block cover 7, preventing the protruding portion from unintentionally coming into contact with an operator. As shown in FIG. 4, the tip portion 55a has an arc-shaped center in the width direction when viewed from the front, with the center curved toward the fixed end 51 more than the other ends. This allows the tip portion 55a to conform to the shape of the operator's finger, making it difficult for the finger to slip in the width direction of the tip portion 55a when pressing the tip portion 55a from above. Note that the width direction here refers to the direction perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction of the U-shape of the hook portion 33 and the direction from the free end 53 toward the fixed end 51, and is the left-to-right direction in FIG. 4 (the same applies to the following explanations).

[0018] The engaging portion 57 is a member that engages with the front cover 5, and in FIGS. 7 and 8 is a protrusion provided on the U-shaped outer periphery of the movable portion 55 and protruding upward. As shown in FIG. 8, the engaging portion 57 has a front end 57a that rises vertically from the movable portion 55, while the rear end 57b is tapered, sloping rearward from the upper end of the protrusion. The fixed portion 59 is a member that receives the pressing force without deforming when the movable portion 55 is pressed toward the fixed end 51, and is a portion closer to the fixed end 51 than the central portion 41. In FIG. 8, the movable portion 55 is the lower half of the hook portion 33. The fixed plate 61 is a member that reinforces the fixed portion 59, and is a pair of plate-like members that extend in the front-rear and up-down directions and connect the U-shaped outer periphery of the fixed portion 59 to the front plate 32 of the cover main body 31.

[0019] The first recess 63 shown in FIGS. 4 and 6 to 8 is a recess into which an operator places his or her finger when pressing the tip 55a of the movable part 55 from the front side of the cover main body 31 with the finger. As shown in FIG. 4, the first recess 63 is provided on the front side of the cover main body 31 along the U-shaped outer periphery of the movable part 55. The first recess 63 has a dimension such that the tip of the operator's thumb F1 can be inserted, for example, as shown in FIG. 7. The first protrusion 66 shown in FIGS. 5 and 8 is a member used for positioning when attaching the terminal block cover 7 to the front cover 5. As shown in FIG. 8, the first protrusion 66 is provided on the back surface of the cover main body 31 of the terminal block cover 7 at a position corresponding to the first recess 63, specifically, on the back side of the first recess 63. The rib 34 shown in FIG. 5 is a member that prevents rattling of the terminal block cover 7 when attached to the front cover 5. The rib 34 is a plate-like member that is provided on the inner (back) surfaces of the left side plate 35 and the right side plate 37 of the terminal block cover 7 and extends horizontally and in the front-to-rear direction. In the following description, the rib 34 provided on the left side plate 35 will be referred to as a rib 34a, and the rib 34 provided on the right side plate 37 will be referred to as a rib 34b.

[0020] The non-slip surface 40 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is a surface provided to prevent the fingers of an operator from slipping when gripping the terminal block cover 7 with their fingers to remove it from the front cover 5. Specifically, the non-slip surface 40 is a surface with an uneven surface. The non-slip surface 40 is provided on the outer surface of the edge of the terminal block cover 7 that terminates in the direction from the free end 53 toward the fixed end 51. As shown in FIG. 8, the terminal block cover 7 is oriented downward from the free end 53 toward the fixed end 51, so the edge that terminates in the downward direction is the bottom plate 39. Therefore, the non-slip surface 40 is provided on the outer surface of the bottom plate 39. In FIGS. 5 and 6, the non-slip surfaces 40 are shown as a non-slip surface 40a provided on the left end of the bottom plate 39 and a non-slip surface 40b provided on the right end of the bottom plate 39. The specific shape of the anti-slip surface 40 is not particularly limited as long as it has unevenness that acts as an anti-slip surface, but an example of such an uneven shape is a wavy shape in which convex or groove portions extending in the left-right direction are arranged at predetermined intervals in the front-to-back direction.

[0021] On the other hand, the front cover 5 has, as structures for attaching / removing the terminal block cover 7, openings 65 shown in FIGS. 3, 7, and 8, engaged portions 67 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, second recesses 69 shown in FIGS. 3, 7, and 8, and protrusions 71 shown in FIG. 3. The openings 65 are openings into which the hook portions 33 are inserted. Two openings 65 (a pair) are provided, one on each side of the terminal block 19 when the terminal block cover 7 is attached to the front cover 5. The openings 65 shown in FIG. 3 are rectangular openings in front view. The height H1 of the rectangle of the openings 65 shown in FIG. 8 is approximately the same as the height H2 of the hook portions 33 from the bottom surface of the fixed plate 61 to the top surface of the movable portion 55. The width of the rectangle of the openings 65 is approximately the same as the width of the hook portions 33. In the following description, the opening 65 on the left side when viewed from the front of the terminal block cover 7 will be referred to as opening 65a, and the opening 65 on the right side will be referred to as opening 65b. 8 is a portion that engages with engaging portion 57, and is a groove portion that is provided on the inner wall of opening 65, in this case the upper wall, at a position facing engaging portion 57, into which the protrusion that is engaging portion 57 is inserted. As shown in FIG. 8, bottom portion 65c, which is the bottom portion of the inner wall of opening 65, is open, and bottom portion 65c is the portion where a mold is located when forming front cover 5 by resin molding. This mold is pulled downward after resin molding to separate it from front cover 5, and therefore bottom portion 65c, which is the portion after pulling out, becomes an open portion.

[0022] 7 and 8 is a recess into which the first protrusion 66 is inserted when the terminal block cover 7 is attached to the front cover 5, and is provided at a position corresponding to the first protrusion 66 as shown in FIG. 7. The protrusion 71 shown in FIG. 3 is a member that is sandwiched between the rib 34 and the bottom plate 39 of the terminal block cover 7 when the terminal block cover 7 is attached to the front cover 5, and is provided at the corners on both the left and right ends of the front cover 5. The upper surface of the protrusion 71 faces the lower surface of the rib 34, and the lower surface faces the bottom plate 39 of the terminal block cover 7. In the following description, the left protrusion 71 will be referred to as protrusion 71a, and the right protrusion 71 will be referred to as protrusion 71b. This concludes the description of the structure for attaching / removing the terminal block cover 7.

[0023] Next, the procedure for attaching / removing the terminal block cover 7 will be described with reference to Figures 3, 5, 8, and 9. Figure 9 is a diagram showing the procedure for attaching the terminal block cover 7 to the front cover 5, and corresponds to Figure 8.

[0024] First, the procedure for attaching the terminal block cover 7 to the front cover 5 will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 8, the hook portion 33 of the terminal block cover 7 is positioned to face the opening 65 of the front cover 5. Next, the terminal block cover 7 is moved toward the front cover 5, in the direction of C1 in this case, and the hook portion 33 is inserted into the opening 65 as shown in FIG. 9(a). As shown in FIG. 8, the height H1 of the opening 65 is approximately the same as the height H2 of the hook portion 33 from the lower surface of the fixed plate 61 to the upper surface of the movable portion 55. Therefore, when the hook portion 33 is inserted into the opening 65 as shown in FIG. 9(a), the rear end 57b of the engagement portion 57 abuts against the upper end of the opening 65. Because the rear end 57b is tapered backward, the reaction force that the rear end 57b receives from the opening 65 when it abuts against the opening 65 can be broken down into a direction parallel to the tapered surface of the rear end 57b and a direction perpendicular to the tapered surface of the rear end 57b. Of these, the component perpendicular to the tapered surface presses rear end 57b in the direction indicated by B in FIG. 9(b), i.e., toward fixed end 51. When rear end 57b is pressed toward fixed end 51, movable part 55 is pressed toward fixed end 51 and elastically deformed. As a result, the height of hook part 33 from the lower surface of fixed plate 61 to the upper surface of engaging part 57 becomes lower than height H1 of opening 65, so that hook part 33 is inserted into opening 65 with movable part 55 elastically deformed. When hook part 33 is further inserted and the position of engaging part 57 reaches the position of engaged part 67, engaging part 57 is no longer pressed against the upper surface of opening 65. Therefore, movable part 55 is elastically deformed by a reaction force against the pressure and returns to its original shape, and engaging part 57 is inserted into and engaged with engaged part 67 as shown in FIG. 7, and terminal block cover 7 is attached to front cover 5. In this state, even if an attempt is made to move the terminal block cover 7 in the direction of C2 and pull it out from the front cover 5, the front end 57a of the engaging portion 57 abuts against the side of the groove of the engaged portion 67, preventing the movement, and the terminal block cover 7 cannot be pulled out from the front cover 5.

[0025] When the hook portions 33 are inserted into the openings 65 to engage the engaging portions 57 with the engaged portions 67, the terminal block cover 7 is positioned so that the first convex portions 66 shown in Fig. 9(b) are inserted into the second concave portions 69. The terminal block cover 7 is also positioned so that the protruding portion 71a shown in Fig. 3 is sandwiched between the rib 34a of the terminal block cover 7 and the bottom plate 39 shown in Fig. 5, and so that the protruding portion 71b shown in Fig. 3 is sandwiched between the rib 34b and the bottom plate 39 shown in Fig. 5.

[0026] Next, the procedure for removing the front cover 5 from the terminal block cover 7 will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 7 , with the front cover 5 attached to the terminal block cover 7, for example, the operator inserts the tip of the thumb F1 into the first recess 63 and touches the upper surface of the tip 55a of the hook portion 33. The operator then touches the index finger (not shown) to the non-slip surface 40 (see FIG. 6 ) of the bottom plate 39 and grasps the front cover 5 with the thumb F1 and index finger. Next, the thumb F1 presses the tip 55a toward the fixed end 51, in this case, in the direction indicated by B in FIG. 7 , to elastically deform the movable portion 55 and separate the engaging portion 57 from the engaged portion 67. Next, with the movable portion 55 elastically deformed, the terminal block cover 7 is moved in a direction away from the front cover 5, specifically in the direction indicated by C2 in FIG. 7 , to pull the hook portion 33 out of the opening 65. This allows the front cover 5 to be removed from the terminal block cover 7.

[0027] As described above, the gas meter 1 of the first embodiment includes the front cover 5 and the terminal block cover 7, where the front cover 5 has the opening 65 and the terminal block cover 7 has the hook portion 33. With this configuration, the terminal block cover 7 is attached to the front cover 5 by inserting the hook portion 33 of the terminal block cover 7 into the opening 65 of the front cover 5 and engaging the engaging portion 57 of the hook portion 33 with the engaged portion 67 provided in the opening 65. With this configuration, with the terminal block cover 7 attached to the front cover 5, the movable portion 55 of the hook portion 33 is pressed toward the fixed end 51 to separate the engaging portion 57 from the engaged portion 67, and the hook portion 33 is pulled out from the opening 65, whereby the terminal block cover 7 is removed. Therefore, the gas meter 1 does not require screws to fasten the terminal block cover 7 to the front cover 5, and is low cost. Furthermore, the gas meter 1 does not require screws to secure the terminal block cover 7 to the front cover 5, and therefore no tools such as a screwdriver for turning screws are required when attaching or removing the terminal block cover 7, and the terminal block cover 7 can be attached or removed without using any tools. Furthermore, with this configuration, the terminal block cover 7 can be attached to the front cover 5 simply by inserting the hook portion 33 of the terminal block cover 7 into the opening 65 of the front cover 5. Also, with this configuration, the terminal block cover 7 can be removed from the front cover 5 simply by pressing down the hook portion 33 and pulling the terminal block cover 7 towards you. Therefore, the terminal block cover 7 can be easily attached or removed from the gas meter 1.

[0028] Furthermore, in the gas meter 1 of the first embodiment, the terminal block cover 7 includes a first recess 63 and a first protrusion 66, and the front cover 5 includes a second recess 69. With this configuration, when attaching the terminal block cover 7 to the front cover 5, the first protrusion 66 is inserted using the side wall of the second recess 69 as a guide, thereby positioning the terminal block cover 7 relative to the front cover 5. With this configuration, by forming the first recess 63, the back side of the recessed portion forms the first protrusion 66, so that the first recess 63, which is designed to allow a finger to be inserted during removal, can be made deeper without reducing the thickness of the terminal block cover 7.

[0029] Furthermore, in the gas meter 1 of the first embodiment, the terminal block cover 7 is provided with a rib 34, and the front cover 5 is provided with a protrusion 71 on its side that is sandwiched between the rib 34 and the bottom plate 39 of the terminal block cover 7. In this configuration, when the terminal block cover 7 is attached to the front cover 5 and the front cover 5 attempts to rotate around the engagement portion 57 as a fulcrum, the rib 34 or the bottom plate 39 abuts against the protrusion 71, thereby preventing the front cover 5 from rotating around the engagement portion 57 as a fulcrum when the terminal block cover 7 is attached to the front cover 5.

[0030] Furthermore, in the gas meter 1 of the first embodiment, the terminal block cover 7 is provided with an anti-slip surface 40. In this configuration, with the terminal block cover 7 attached to the front cover 5, the operator places the thumb F1 in contact with the movable portion 55 of the hook portion 33, places the index finger in contact with the anti-slip surface 40, and grasps the terminal block cover 7 between the thumb F1 and index finger. Furthermore, in this configuration, the thumb F1 presses the tip portion 55a toward the fixed end 51 to elastically deform the movable portion 55, separating the engaging portion 57 from the engaged portion 67, and then pulls the hook portion 33 out of the opening 65 to remove the terminal block cover 7 from the front cover 5. In this configuration, the index finger can be prevented from slipping on the surface of the terminal block cover 7 when pulling the hook portion 33 out of the opening 65.

[0031] Furthermore, in the gas meter 1 of the first embodiment, the engaging portion 57 is a protrusion and the engaged portion 67 is a groove. In this configuration, the engaging portion 57 engages with the engaged portion 67 by inserting the protrusion serving as the engaging portion 57 into the groove serving as the engaged portion 67. Therefore, the hook portion 33 can be made thinner than when the engaging portion 57 is a groove and the engaged portion 67 is a protrusion.

[0032] Next, the configuration of a gas meter according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 10 and 11. Fig. 10 is a front view showing a terminal block cover 7 of a gas meter according to the second embodiment. Fig. 11 is a front view showing a front cover 5 of a gas meter according to the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, the first recess 63 in the first embodiment is extended in the width direction of the movable part 55 toward the outer periphery of the terminal block cover 7. In the second embodiment, elements that perform the same functions as in the first embodiment are assigned the same numbers, and the following description will mainly focus on the parts that differ from the first embodiment.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 10 , in the gas meter 1a according to the second embodiment, the first recess 63 of the terminal block cover 7 extends in the width direction of the movable portion 55 of the hook portion 33 toward the outer periphery of the terminal block cover 7. In FIG. 10 , the width direction of the movable portion 55 is the left-right direction, so the first recess 81a on the left side as viewed from the front extends leftward toward the left edge of the outer periphery of the terminal block cover 7, and the first recess 81b on the right side as viewed from the front extends rightward toward the right edge of the outer periphery of the terminal block cover 7. The vertical lengths of the first recesses 81a and 81b in the second embodiment are such that an operator's index finger F2 can be inserted horizontally along the extension direction of the first recesses 81a and 81b. As shown in FIG. 11 , the second recess 69 of the front cover 5 also extends along the extension direction of the first recesses 81a and 81b, allowing insertion of the first recesses 81a and 81b.

[0034] With the front cover 5 attached to the terminal block cover 7, the gas meter 1a can also be gripped by inserting the tip of the thumb F1 into the first recess 63 to contact the hook portion 33 and by contacting the index finger F2 with the bottom plate 39 (non-slip surface 40). Alternatively, the front cover 5 can be gripped by laying the index finger F2 laterally along the extension direction of the first recess 63 and pressing it against the first recess 63, with the fingertip coming into contact with the movable portion 55 and the thumb F1 coming into contact with the bottom plate 39 (non-slip surface 40). In this state, the front cover 5 can be removed from the terminal block cover 7 by pressing the movable portion 55 with the tip of the index finger F2 to elastically deform it and then pulling the hook portion 33 out of the opening 65.

[0035] As described above, in the gas meter 1a according to the second embodiment, the first recess 63 extends in the width direction of the movable part 55 of the hook portion 33 toward the outer periphery of the terminal block cover 7. With this configuration, the movable part 55 is elastically deformed by pressing the tip of the thumb F1 against the bottom surface of the first recess 63 to press the movable part 55, or by laying the index finger F2 horizontally along the extension direction of the first recess 63 and pressing it against the first recess 63 to press the movable part 55. Therefore, two different positions can be taken when pressing the movable part 55 of the hook portion 33 with the finger, which increases the degree of freedom in the operation of removing the terminal block cover 7 from the front cover 5.

[0036] Although the present invention has been described above based on the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and other techniques may be appropriately combined to the extent possible. Furthermore, publicly known or well-known techniques may be combined to the extent possible.

[0037] For example, in the above embodiment, the hook portion 33 is U-shaped in a side view, with the two ends 43 of the U aligned vertically, but the arrangement of the hook portion 33 is not limited to the above embodiment as long as the central portion 41 of the hook portion 33 is located behind the ends 43. For example, the hook portion 33 may be U-shaped in a top view, with the two ends 43 of the U aligned horizontally.

[0038] Furthermore, although two hook portions 33 are provided in the above embodiment, it is also possible to provide only one hook portion 33. When using only one hook portion 33, a columnar protrusion that can be inserted into opening 65 may be provided in place of hook portion 33 at the portion where one of hook portions 33a and 33b is provided.

[0039] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the engaging portion 57 is a protrusion and the engaged portion 67 is a groove, but the engaging portion 57 may be a groove and the engaged portion 67 may be a protrusion. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 1, 1a: Gas meter 3: Main body 5: Front cover 7: Terminal block cover 19:Terminal block 31: Cover body 32: Front plate 33, 33a, 33b: Hook part 34, 34a, 34b: Ribs 35: Left side plate (side plate) 37: Right side plate (side plate) 39: Bottom plate 40, 40a, 40b: Non-slip surface 41: Central part 43: End 51: Fixed end 53 :Free end 55: Moving part 55a: Tip 57: Engagement part 63, 81a, 81b: first recess 64: Hole 65, 65a, 65b: Opening 66: First convex part 67: Engaged part 69: Second recess 71, 71a, 71b: Projection

Claims

1. A gas meter comprising: a box-shaped main body having an open front and including a terminal block to be connected to an external device; a front cover covering the front of the main body so that the terminal block is exposed; and a terminal block cover provided on the front cover so as to cover the terminal block, The terminal block cover is a cover body that covers the terminal block; and a U-shaped member that is provided on the back surface of the cover body and engages with the front cover, the center of the U-shape being located rearward of the end portion of the hook portion. The hook portion is a fixed end that is one end of the U-shape fixed to the cover body, a free end that is the other end separated from the cover body, a movable part that is a portion closer to the free end than the central part and is elastically deformable toward the fixed end, and an engaging part that is provided on the outer periphery of the U-shape of the movable part and engages with the front cover, the cover body has a hole that exposes the free end to the front side, The front cover includes an opening into which the hook portion is inserted, and an engaged portion that is provided on an inner wall of the opening at a position facing the engaging portion and engages with the engaging portion. A gas meter characterized by:

2. a first recess is provided on the front surface of the terminal block cover so as to follow the U-shaped outer periphery of the movable part, and a first protrusion is provided on the back surface of the terminal block cover at a position corresponding to the first recess; The front cover has a second recess, into which the first protrusion is inserted, at a position facing the first protrusion.

2. A gas meter according to claim 1, characterized in that:

3. The first recess is The terminal block cover extends in the width direction of the movable portion toward the outer periphery thereof.

3. A gas meter according to claim 2, characterized in that:

4. The terminal block cover is The terminal block is provided with a front plate facing the terminal block, side plates protruding rearward from both left and right ends of the front plate, a bottom plate protruding rearward from a lower end of the front plate, and plate-like ribs provided on the rear surfaces of the side plates and extending horizontally and in the front-rear direction, The front cover has a protrusion that is sandwiched between the rib and the bottom plate. A gas meter according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The terminal block cover has an anti-slip surface formed on the outer surface of the edge portion that is the end in the direction from the free end side toward the fixed end side, and the anti-slip surface has an uneven surface. A gas meter according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

6. the engaging portion is a protrusion, The engaged portion is a groove into which the protrusion is inserted. A gas meter according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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