Gas meter

Abstract

To provide a gas meter with good installation workability, which can hold predetermined electronic parts such as a seismic sensor more easily in the gas meter without directly mounting the parts on an electronic board and without screwing the parts to a housing of the gas meter. [Solution] A gas meter 1 equipped with an electronic board holding case 20 that holds within the gas meter an electronic board 31 equipped with a control device that controls the operation of the gas meter. The electronic components mounted on the gas meter 1 include board-mounted electronic components mounted on the electronic board 31, 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 1 is equipped with an electronic board holding case 20 that is integrally molded with a board holding section 21 that holds within the gas meter 1 a mounted electronic board 30, which is an electronic board on which the board-mounted electronic components are mounted, and a non-board holding section 22 that holds at least some of the non-board-mounted electronic components.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to 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. [Background technology]

[0002] A gas meter has a built-in seismic sensor that detects vibrations caused by earthquakes and outputs a detection signal to a control device. The gas meter's control device has a seismic shutoff function that shuts off the gas when it detects an earthquake based on the detection signal from the seismic sensor. A typical seismic sensor has a built-in steel ball, which vibrates during an earthquake and mechanically turns a switch ON / OFF, and the control device determines whether an earthquake has occurred based on this ON / OFF pattern. In addition, since the seismic sensor has a built-in steel ball, it is a relatively large cylindrical device with a diameter of about 15 mm and a length of about 20 mm. There is a need for a method of installing this seismic sensor in a gas meter appropriately and relatively easily.

[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] JP 2008-123153 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2001-116604 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] As a method for mounting a seismic sensor in a gas meter, the method of directly fixing the sensor to an electronic board as in Patent Document 1 requires space on the electronic 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, so there is no space to mount the seismic sensor on the electronic board. In addition, when mounting a seismic sensor on an electronic board, the terminals of the seismic sensor are often soldered to the electronic board, but this is not preferable because the stress caused by the vibration of the seismic sensor over a relatively long period of time may cause cracks in the solder. To avoid this, there is a method of screwing the seismic sensor to the electronic board, but this is not preferable because the installation work is not easy. Therefore, it is preferable not to mount the seismic sensor directly on the electronic board.

[0006] As in Patent Document 2, there is a method of screwing a seismic sensor to a location inside the gas meter separate from the electronic board (such as the housing of the gas meter), 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 housing of the gas meter, etc. is not preferred.

[0007] The present invention has been devised in consideration of the above points, and has an object to provide a gas meter that allows specified electronic components, such as a seismic sensor, to be more easily held within the gas meter without directly mounting the electronic components on an electronic board and without screwing the components to the gas meter housing, etc., thereby making installation easy. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order 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, a mounted electronic board, which is the 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, a second invention is a gas meter according to the first invention, wherein the non-board mounted electronic component held in 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 above, wherein, when the electronic board holding case in which the mounted electronic board and the seismic sensor are held 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 above, 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. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the first 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 part and a non-board holding part are integrally molded. This makes it possible to provide a gas meter with good installation workability, whereby a predetermined electronic component such as a seismic sensor (at least a part of the non-board mounted electronic components) can be more easily held in the gas meter without directly mounting the electronic component on the electronic board and without screwing it to the housing of the gas meter.

[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-substrate 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 non-board holding portion structure that allows easy attachment of the non-board mounted electronic component to be held by the non-board holding portion.

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

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an example of the appearance of a gas meter. [Diagram 2]FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an example of the structure and assembly procedure of a gas meter. [Diagram 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. [Diagram 5] 4 is a view of the electronic board holding case shown in FIG. 3 as viewed from direction V. FIG. [Figure 6] 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VI-VI of the electronic board holding case shown 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] 13 is a diagram for explaining an example of mounting a mounted electronic board to an electronic board holding case, and is a diagram for explaining a state in which an edge portion on one end of the mounted electronic board is inserted into a board insertion portion. FIG. [Figure 9] 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of mounting a mounted electronic board to an electronic board holding case, and illustrates a state in which an edge portion on the other end side of the mounted electronic board is pressed toward the electronic board holding case. FIG. [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of attaching a mounted electronic board to an electronic board holding case, and illustrate a state in which the mounted electronic board is held in the electronic board holding case. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[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 without duplicate explanation. When the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are described in the drawings, the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are mutually perpendicular, and as shown in FIG. 1, the X-axis direction indicates the direction toward the right when the gas meter 1 is viewed 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 appearance of gas meter 1 (Fig. 1)> First, the external appearance of a gas meter 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 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, and a cover 5.

[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 for returning the meter to a normal operating state after a gas cut-off state due to an earthquake or other reason.

[0022] <Gas meter 1 structure and assembly procedure (Fig. 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 includes a meter unit 10, an electronic board holding case 20, a mounted electronic board 30, a front panel 4, a cover 5, etc. assembled thereto.

[0023] Various electronic components are mounted inside the gas meter 1, and the electronic components include 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, M3, connectors C1b, C2b, C3b, return switch S1, and communication terminals T1, T2, T3, and T4. Also, in the example of Fig. 2, the non-board-mounted electronic components not mounted on the electronic board 31 correspond to the seismic sensor 40. The electronic board 31 is equipped with a control device (CPU) and the like (integrated circuits M2, 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 (e.g., 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. Although these are not shown in the figure, 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 in the figure, correspond to non-board mounted electronic components, but are electronic components incorporated in the gas flow path and have fixed positions for placement, 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 with screws N1 inside the meter unit 10. A connector C1a is connected to the connector C1b of the mounted electronic board 30, a connector C2a is connected to the connector C2b of the mounted electronic board 30, and a connector C3a is connected to the connector C3b of the mounted electronic board 30. A connector C3t at the other end of the connector C3a is connected to a terminal 41 of the seismic sensor 40.

[0026] Thereafter, the front panel 4 is attached to the meter unit 10 with the screw N2. The display window 4a of the front panel 4 covers the display portion of the liquid crystal circuit M1 mounted on the mounted electronic board 30. In addition, the reset button 4b (an elastic body such as silicone rubber) of the front panel 4 covers the reset switch S1 mounted on the mounted electronic board 30. In addition, the opening 4c of the front panel 4 exposes the 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 a portion of the non-board mounted electronic components) may be located anywhere within the gas meter 1, but it is preferable that the installation workability is good. The seismic sensor 40 is, for example, a so-called seismometer that has a built-in steel ball that swings in response to an earthquake and outputs a detection signal that turns an electrode ON / OFF. The 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 substantially cylindrical shape, with a diameter of about 15 mm and a length of about 20 mm. In recent years, various electronic circuits and the like have been mounted on the electronic board 31 of the gas meter 1, and there is no room left for mounting the seismic sensor 40.

[0029] In the gas meter 1 of this embodiment, the seismic sensor 40 is attached by fitting into the non-board holding portion 22 integrally molded with the electronic board holding case 20 (see Figs. 3 and 4), so there is no problem even if there is no space on the electronic board 31 to mount the seismic sensor 40. Also, since the seismic sensor 40 is attached by fitting into the non-board holding portion 22 integrally molded with the electronic board holding case 20, rather than by screwing, the attachment workability is good. Below, the electronic board holding case 20 in which the non-board holding portion 22 and the board holding portion 21 are integrally molded will be described in detail.

[0030] <Structure of the electronic board holding case 20 and the holding state of the seismic sensor 40 in the non-board holding portion 22 (FIGS. 3 to 7)> In the electronic board holding case 20, the board holding part 21 and the non-board holding part 22 are integrally molded from an insulating and elastic resin or the like. In the electronic board holding case 20, the non-board holding part 22 that holds at least some of the non-board mounted electronic components is integrally molded with the board holding part 21, so that the non-board mounted electronic components to be handled 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 part 22. In the explanation of this embodiment, an example will be explained in which the non-board mounted electronic component held by the non-board holding part 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) and 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] The holding surface 21a is a surface on which the mounted electronic board 30 is placed and held, as shown in FIGS.

[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 a triangular prism-shaped hollow portion is formed. 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, as shown in Fig. 10. The mounted electronic board 30 is sandwiched and held by the board insertion portion 21b and the board locking portion 21c in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction with respect to the electronic board holding case 20 using the elastic force of the resin, and is positioned in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction with respect to the electronic board holding case 20.

[0034] 10, the first guide 21d is a portion 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 portion 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 by the first guide 21d and the second guide 21e in the Z-axis direction relative to the electronic board holding case 20 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 maintain the electronic board holding case 20 in a stable state 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 Figs. 3 and 4) will be described. When the seismic sensor 40 is attached to the non-board holding portion 22, it is necessary to attach a connector C3t to the terminal 41 of the seismic sensor 40 as shown in Fig. 2, so the terminal 41 is exposed when the non-board holding portion 22 is attached. The non-board holding portion 22 has a frame portion 22a, a storage recess 22b, an outer periphery holding portion 22c (corresponding to a claw portion), an upper surface locking portion 22d (corresponding to a claw portion), a bottom surface locking portion 22e (corresponding to a claw portion), etc. The outer periphery holding portion 22c, the upper surface locking portion 22d, and the bottom surface locking portion 22e correspond to a plurality of claw portions that hold the non-board mounted electronic component to be held (in this case, the seismic sensor 40) 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 Fig. 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 accommodation recess 22b is a recess (hollow portion) in which the non-board mounted electronic component to be held (in this case, the seismic sensor 40) is housed. As shown in the example of Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, the seismic sensor 40 attached to the non-board holding portion 22 is housed and held in the accommodation recess 22b while being 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 top surface locking portion 22d comes into contact with the top surface 42 of the seismic sensor 40, which has a substantially cylindrical shape, and its tip is locked to the outer circumferential surface 44. The top surface locking portion 22d is a claw portion that positions and holds the top surface 42 and outer circumferential surface 44 of the seismic sensor 40 relative to the non-board holding portion 22 using the elastic force of the resin.

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

[0042] As shown in Fig. 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 Fig. 5) perpendicular to the thickness direction (Y-axis direction) of the mounted electronic board 30, the seismic sensor 40 is contained within the thickness H1 of the mounted electronic board 30 and the electronic board holding case 20 without protruding in the thickness direction (Y-axis direction) of the mounted electronic board 30 and the electronic board holding case 20. In other words, in Fig. 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 Fig. 2) or the meter unit 10 (see Fig. 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 FIG. 8 , the worker tilts the mounted electronic board 30 relative to the electronic board holding case 20 and inserts a corner of an 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, the worker pushes edge portion 30b on the other end side of the mounted electronic board 30, with edge portion 30a on one end side inserted into board insertion portion 21b, toward electronic board holding case 20, as shown in FIG.

[0046] 10, the board locking portion 21c locks the edge 30b on the other end side of the mounted electronic board 30. The first guide 21d contacts the edge 30c of the mounted electronic board 30, and the second guide 21e contacts the edge 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 direction and the Y-axis direction with respect to the electronic board holding case 20. 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 without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0048] In the explanation of this embodiment, the seismic sensor 40 has been given 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 containing a steel ball has been given as an example of the seismic sensor 40, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the seismic sensor 40 includes a seismic sensor containing a steel ball and an acceleration detection device that detects acceleration.

[0049] Moreover, 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 circuit 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 Recessed portion 22c Outer circumference holding part (claw part) 22d Upper 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 Terminal 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 Liquid crystal circuit (electronic components mounted on a board) M2, M3 Integrated circuits (electronic components mounted on boards) N1, N2, N3 screws S1 Reset switch (electronic component mounted on board) T1, T2, T3, T4 Communication terminals (electronic components mounted on board)

Claims

1. A gas meter including an electronic board holding case that holds an electronic board, on which a control device for controlling an 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 board holder that holds, in the gas meter, a mounted electronic board, which is the electronic board on which the board-mounted electronic component is mounted; a non-substrate holding portion that holds at least some of the non-substrate mounted electronic components; The electronic board holding case is integrally formed with the electronic board holding case. 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, 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.

2. A gas meter as claimed in claim 1, The non-substrate holding portion is a receiving recess for receiving the non-substrate 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.

3. A gas meter as claimed in claim 1, 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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