Terminal block cover for microcomputer meter

Abstract

To provide a terminal block cover that allows good conduction between terminals inside the terminal block and terminals on the terminal block cover in a microcomputer meter having the terminal block cover.SOLUTION: A terminal block cover has a main body that covers a terminal block of a microcomputer meter, and a bottom body attached to a lower part of the main body. The terminal block has a plurality of intra-terminal block terminals. The main body is an L-shape composed of an upright part that covers one side of the microcomputer meter, and a deep part that covers a bottom of the microcomputer meter, and incorporates a communication unit that has a wireless communication function, spring terminals that are leaf springs and connected to the communication unit, and a middle plate to which the spring terminals are attached. The spring terminal has, in an upper part thereof, a bent part that is bent and opens on one side, and a contact part that extends downward from a lower end of the bent part. In a state where the spring terminals are attached to and integrated with the microcomputer meter, the middle plate is on the other side of the communication unit, and the bent part and the contact part of the spring terminal are in contact with a specific intra-terminal block terminal.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a terminal block cover for a microcomputer meter, which is a gas meter incorporating electronic equipment. [Background technology]

[0002] Gas meters are used to measure the amount of gas consumed by each consumer, such as a home or business, but in recent years, "microcomputer meters" have become widespread and are equipped with safety features that go beyond measurement and quickly detect earthquakes, abnormalities in gas supply pressure, and abnormalities in usage, automatically shutting off the gas, contributing to improved safety. Microcomputer meters contain built-in electronic devices, and a terminal block is located on the bottom front of the meter for transmitting information to the outside world. The terminal block must be protected from contact with foreign objects and careless handling, and is usually covered with a terminal block cover.

[0003] Figure 6 shows an example of the shape of the terminal block cover of a typical microcomputer meter. The microcomputer meter in this figure uses ultrasound to measure gas consumption, and because it does not have a measuring membrane, its vertical dimensions are kept small. There is a step at the bottom front of the microcomputer meter, and a terminal block is located on the back side. Each terminal in the terminal block is connected to the internal electronic devices, and by connecting cables to the terminals, various information can be transmitted to the outside. Figure 6 also shows how a wireless NCU (Network Control Unit) and gas leak alarm are connected via cables.

[0004] The terminal block cover is designed to conceal the step in the microcomputer meter and protect the terminal block. For aesthetic reasons, it is shaped to be flush with the outer shell of the microcomputer meter and is attached to the microcomputer meter with screws. For this reason, there are female threads near both ends of the step that can be threaded onto the screws. A cable extends from the bottom plate directly below the terminal block, and a bushing is built into the bottom plate to seal the cable. The wireless NCU connected by a cable is installed in a location with good radio wave transmission and reception, and the gas leak alarm is installed in a location where it can be easily detected by residents and others.

[0005] The wireless slave NCU connected externally to a microcomputer meter can transmit information about gas consumption, gas leaks, and other abnormal conditions in real time to the management company, etc. As shown in Figure 6, when attaching an external wireless slave NCU to an existing microcomputer meter, it is necessary to remove the terminal block cover and connect the two with a cable. This is not a particularly complicated task, but gas meters, including microcomputer meters, are often installed in harsh working environments, such as outdoors in the dark, and there is a risk of problems such as poor connections due to the working environment.

[0006] Furthermore, since the meter is often located close to pipes and walls, the method of installing the NCU on the side of the microcomputer meter, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, may not provide enough space to install the wireless slave NCU on the side of the microcomputer meter. Furthermore, cables extending from other devices, such as gas leak alarms, may be connected to terminals inside the terminal block of the microcomputer meter. Therefore, if a newly installed terminal block cover interferes with these cables, it can result in unnecessary work, such as having to significantly change the cable routing. Additionally, because microcomputer meters are often installed in harsh locations, as mentioned above, it is desirable for them to be easily maintained and managed.

[0007] Non-patent document 1 discloses a terminal block cover that was developed based on this situation. Like conventional terminal block covers, these cover cover the terminal block of a microcomputer meter, but the terminal block cover itself has the functionality of a wireless slave NCU built in, eliminating the need for an external wireless slave NCU. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 3113610 [Non-patent literature]

[0009] [Non-Patent Document 1] Utility Model No. 3219927

[0010] However, Non-Patent Document 1 does not mention that the terminals used among the multiple terminals in the terminal block provided in the microcomputer meter change depending on the type of gas (for example, the Nth terminal from the right is used for city gas, and the Mth terminal from the right is used for LP gas). Therefore, with the terminal block cover disclosed in Non-Patent Document 1, when the terminals used in the microcomputer meter are located opposite the terminal block board of the terminal block cover, it is necessary to assemble the terminal block cover by changing not only the position of the terminals on the terminal block cover but also the position of the board so that the terminals used only contact the terminals on the terminal block cover. However, assembling the terminal block cover by changing the positions of the terminals and board on the terminal block cover according to the positions of the terminals on the terminal block used in the microcomputer meter is not efficient in terms of structure or process.

[0011] Furthermore, even if the terminals on the terminal block lid are assembled so that they are on the outer side of the circuit board (on the terminal block side when the microcomputer meter and terminal block lid are integrated), and only the positions of the terminals on the terminal block lid are changed according to the positions of the terminals in the terminal block used in the microcomputer meter, the distance between the terminals on the terminal block lid and the terminals in the terminal block will be short. With terminal block lid terminals formed from very ordinary leaf springs, such as those disclosed in Non-Patent Document 1, if the distance to the terminals in the terminal block is short, the distance between the fixed end (fulcrum) of the leaf spring and the load point will also be short, which reduces the deflection of the leaf spring when the terminals on the terminal block lid and the terminals in the terminal block come into contact, weakening the stress and resulting in a problem of a weaker biasing force for sufficient contact between the terminals. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0012] In view of the above, the present invention aims to provide a terminal block cover for a microcomputer meter having a terminal block cover with the functions of a wireless slave unit NCU built in, which allows good conductivity between the terminals in the terminal block used in the microcomputer meter and the terminals of the terminal block cover. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] The terminal block cover described in claim 1 of the present invention has a main body that covers the terminal block of a microcomputer meter and a bottom body that is attached to the bottom of the main body, wherein the terminal block has a plurality of terminals within the terminal block, the main body is L-shaped and consists of an upright portion that covers one side of the microcomputer meter and a deep portion that covers the bottom of the microcomputer meter, the main body incorporates a communication unit having wireless communication capabilities, a spring terminal that is connected to the communication unit and is a leaf spring, and a middle plate to which the spring terminal is attached, the spring terminal having a bent portion at the top that opens to one side and is bent, and an abutment portion that extends downward from the lower end of the bent portion, and when attached to the microcomputer meter and integrated, the middle plate is on the other side of the communication unit, and the bent portion and the abutment portion of the spring terminal are in contact with a specific terminal within the terminal block.

[0014] The terminal block cover described in claim 2 of the present invention is characterized by having an inclined portion extending obliquely to one side from the lower end of the abutment portion, and a fixed portion extending downward from the lower end of the inclined portion and fixed to the middle plate. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the terminal block cover of claim 1 of the present invention, even if a specific terminal block terminal used in a microcomputer meter is located opposite the circuit board of the terminal block cover, the spring terminal of the terminal block cover is attached to the middle plate that is incorporated outside the circuit board (the other side when the terminal block cover is attached to the microcomputer meter and integrated), so it can contact the specific terminal block terminal without interfering with the circuit board. Furthermore, simply changing the middle plate allows the position of the spring terminal to be changed, allowing efficient assembly according to the position of the terminal block terminal used in the microcomputer meter. Additionally, the spring terminal has a bent portion at the top that is bent and opens to one side, and an abutment portion that extends downward from the bottom end of the bent portion. When the terminal block cover is attached to the microcomputer meter and integrated, the bent portion and the abutment portion each contact the specific terminal block terminal, ensuring sufficient contact between the spring terminal and the terminal block and ensuring good conductivity.

[0016] According to the terminal block cover of claim 2 of the present invention, the spring terminal has an inclined portion that extends obliquely to one side from the lower end of the abutment portion, and a fixed portion that extends downward from the lower end of the inclined portion and is fixed to the middle plate.Therefore, when the terminal block cover is attached to the microcomputer meter and is integrated with it, sufficient stress is generated and the spring terminal is biased by the deflection caused by contact with the terminal inside the terminal block, so that the spring terminal and the terminal inside the terminal block come into even more sufficient contact with each other, ensuring good conductivity. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the shape of a terminal block cover of a microcomputer meter according to the present invention; [Figure 2] 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the terminal block cover of FIG. 1 is attached to a microcomputer meter and integrated with the meter. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2(a) is a perspective view of the spring terminal of the terminal block cover of FIG. 1, and FIG. 2(b) is a side view. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the details of the terminal block cover of FIG. 1, with each component being drawn separately. [Figure 5]2 is a cross-sectional view showing the relationship between the spring terminals and the terminals inside the terminal block when the terminal block cover of FIG. 1 is attached to the microcomputer meter and integrated with it. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the shape of a terminal block cover of a general microcomputer meter. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The following description of the preferred embodiment is merely an example and is not intended to limit the present invention and its applications. Hereinafter, one side and the other side will be as shown in FIG.

[0019] FIG. 1 shows an example of the shape of a terminal block cover for a microcomputer meter 51 according to the present invention. The terminal block cover in this figure is attached so as to cover the corner between one side (front) and the bottom of the microcomputer meter 51, protecting the terminal block 53 of the microcomputer meter 51. The microcomputer meter 51 in this figure is designed to measure gas consumption using ultrasound. As shown in FIG. 1, the top of the microcomputer meter 51 is equipped with a gas inlet nozzle 58 and an outlet nozzle 59. The front is equipped with a reset button 60, which is operated to resume gas supply, and an LCD panel 61, which displays consumption data, etc. Furthermore, a recessed step 52 is provided at the bottom of the front. A terminal block 53 is provided on the rear surface of the step 52. A number of screw-shaped terminal blocks 530 are arranged on the terminal block 53. The series of terminal blocks 530 are connected to electronic devices built into the microcomputer meter 51, and information can be transmitted between the microcomputer meter 51 and the outside via the terminal blocks 530.

[0020] A bottom plate 54 is placed directly below the terminal block 53 to cover the bottom surface of the step 52, from which a single cable 56 extends, to the end of which a gas leak alarm or the like is connected. One end of the cable 56 is held by the bottom plate 54 via a bushing 57, and a lead wire connects the bushing 57 to a specific terminal 530 in the terminal block used for the gas leak alarm or the like. The bushing 57 seals the cable 56, thereby preventing foreign matter from entering the step 52 from the outside.

[0021] The outer shell of the terminal block cover is composed of a main body 11 and a bottom body 21, both made of synthetic resin. The main body 11 is L-shaped and includes an upright portion 13 and a depth portion 14, allowing it to completely cover the step 52. The upright portion 13 is a wall-like portion that rises up and covers the front of the step 52. The depth portion 14 is a portion that protrudes horizontally from the bottom of the upright portion 13 toward the back and covers the bottom of the step 52. The depth portion 14 also has a notched wiring path 16 for passing a cable 56. The bottom body 21 is attached to the bottom of the main body 11, and its shape is flush with the bottom surface of the main body 11. When attached, the main body 11 and the bottom body 21 have a unified appearance, as shown in FIG. 2. The main body 11 is attached to the microcomputer meter 51 with screws 45. Therefore, female threads 55 that screw into the screws 45 are provided near both the left and right ends of the step 52.

[0022] 2, a window 15 and a recess 17 are provided side by side on the front surface of the upright portion 13. The window 15 is provided to notify the outside world of the status of the microcomputer meter 51 by light, and the window 15 lights up when certain conditions are met. The recess 17 is provided to switch the communication unit 31 to maintenance mode, and the mode is switched by inserting a magnet into the recess 17.

[0023] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, a middle plate 43 is incorporated into the other side (rear surface) of the upright portion 13, and the middle plate 43 is shaped to correspond to the outer edge of the rear surface of the upright portion 13. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, a spring terminal 430, which is a leaf spring, is attached to the middle plate 43 by screwing. At the position where the spring terminal 430 is attached, there is a female thread 43a for screwing and a notch 43b for allowing the spring terminal 430 to protrude from the middle plate 43. The spring terminal 430 protruding from this notch 43b comes into contact with a specific terminal 530 in a terminal block used in the microcomputer meter 51, and this contact enables the transmission of information. The position of the specific terminal 530 in a terminal block used in the microcomputer meter 51 varies depending on the type of gas used by the microcomputer meter.

[0024] 3(a) and 3(b), spring terminal 430 has, at its upper portion, a bent portion 431 that is bent and opens to the front, a contact portion 432 that extends downward from the lower end of bent portion 431, an inclined portion 433 that extends obliquely to the front from the lower end of contact portion 432, and a fixing portion 434 that extends downward from the lower end of inclined portion 433. Fixing portion 434 has a screw hole 434a that is aligned with and screwed onto internal thread 43a of middle plate 43, whereby spring terminal 430 is fixed and attached to middle plate 43.

[0025] The middle plate 43 and the upright portion 13 form a space for accommodating the communication unit 31, and as shown in Fig. 4, the communication unit 31 is installed in front of the middle plate 43. The communication unit 31 is used to realize wireless communication functions as a wireless slave unit NCU, and has electronic components and an antenna 33 mounted on a single board 32, which is fixed to the upright portion 13 with screws 47. Although not shown in Fig. 4, the bottom surface of the depth portion 14 is in contact with the bottom body 21, and a battery 34 that supplies power to the communication unit 31 is housed in the internal space formed by the depth portion 14 and the bottom body 21.

[0026] Although not shown here, bottom body 21 is fixed to main body 11 with screws 46 inserted from below. Bottom body 21 has an open top, and a battery 34 housed in the internal space of bottom body 21 is connected to communication unit 31 by a lead wire. Bottom body 21 is also provided with wiring path 26 as shown in Figure 2, similar to depth portion 14, and wiring path 26 of bottom body 21 is aligned flush with wiring path 16 of depth portion 14, ensuring space through which cable 56 can pass without difficulty.

[0027] The communication unit 31 is mounted on a single board 32 with various electronic components, as well as an antenna 33 for transmitting and receiving radio waves, a light emitter 35, and a magnetic sensor 37. The magnetic sensor 37 acts as a switch that switches the communication unit 31 into maintenance mode by detecting magnetism. Therefore, a recess 17 is provided in the upright portion 13 so that a magnet can approach the magnetic sensor 37. Furthermore, the light emitter 35 lights up to notify the outside when certain conditions are met.

[0028] The substrate 32 is of the minimum necessary size, and as a result, the light emitter 35 and the magnetic sensor 37 are disposed adjacent to each other. As a result, the front of the light emitter 35 is covered by the recess 17. Therefore, a window 15 is provided in the upright portion 13 slightly away from the recess 17, and a light-guiding material 41 is sandwiched between the light emitter 35 and the window 15. The light-guiding material 41 is made of a transparent synthetic resin and has a shape that does not interfere with the recess 17, so that the light emitted from the light emitter 35 is guided obliquely upward and emitted from the window 15. By using the light-guiding material 41 in this manner, sufficient light can be emitted to the outside even when the window 15 cannot be disposed in front of the light emitter 35.

[0029] The light guide 41 is fixed in place by fitting a protrusion on its front surface into the window 15. In addition, packing 49 is sandwiched at the boundary between the main body 11 and the bottom body 21 and on the rear surface of the upright portion 13 excluding the middle plate 43, thereby realizing a sealing structure. Note that although only a portion of the packing 49 is shown in Figure 4, in reality it has a shape that corresponds to the outer edge of the top surface of the bottom body 21 and the rear surface of the upright portion 13.

[0030] The communication unit 31 is equipped with a light emitter 35 and a magnetic sensor 37, and the recess 17 is positioned so as to cover the front of the magnetic sensor 37. The light guide 41 extends diagonally upward to avoid interference with the recess 17, with its lower portion in contact with the light emitter 35 and its upper portion fitting into the window 15. Meanwhile, the communication unit 31 is fixed to the main body 11 with a screw 47, and the middle plate 43 is fixed to the main body 11 with a screw 48, as shown in FIG. 1, and the communication unit 31 and the spring terminal 430 are connected by a lead wire. In this way, by separating the communication unit 31 and the spring terminal 430, it is possible to place both in optimal locations. Furthermore, the communication unit 31 and the spring terminal 430 can be attached separately to the main body 11, and the position of the spring terminal 430 can be changed simply by changing the positions of the female screw 43a and the notch 43b of the middle plate 43, so that the terminal block cover can be efficiently assembled according to the position of the specific terminal 530 in the terminal block used in the microcomputer meter 51.

[0031] Next, a detailed description will be given of the state in which the terminal block lid is attached and integrated with the microcomputer meter 51. The terminal block lid is attached to the microcomputer meter 51 with a single touch, and is integrated with the microcomputer meter 51 as shown in Fig. 2. When the terminal block lid is attached and integrated with the microcomputer meter 51, the spring terminal 430 of the terminal block lid is in contact with a specific terminal within the terminal block 530 of the microcomputer meter 51, as shown in Fig. 5, and the bent portion 431 and the abutting portion 432 of the spring terminal 430 are in contact with the terminal within the terminal block 530, respectively.

[0032] Furthermore, spring terminal 430 naturally leans forward more than when not in contact due to bending caused by contact with terminal 530 inside the terminal block, but inclined portion 433 is formed to be long enough that bent portion 431 does not come into contact with middle plate 43 and sufficient stress is generated in spring terminal 430. Therefore, the stress generated by contact of spring terminal 430 with terminal 530 inside the terminal block is sufficient, and spring terminal 430 is biased so as to be able to make sufficient contact with terminal 530 inside the terminal block.

[0033] 5, the contact between spring terminal 430 and terminal block internal terminal 530 is shown as surface contact, but point contact is also possible, in which case bent portion 431 and abutting portion 432 of spring terminal 430 are each in point contact with terminal block internal terminal 530. Even when spring terminal 430 and terminal block internal terminal 530 are in point contact, the stress generated in spring terminal 430 is sufficient, and spring terminal 430 is biased so as to be in sufficient contact with terminal block internal terminal 530.

[0034] The effects of the present invention configured as described above will be described. With the terminal block lid of the present invention, even if a specific terminal block terminal 530 used in microcomputer meter 51 is located opposite circuit board 32 of the terminal block lid, spring terminal 430 of the terminal block lid is attached to middle plate 43, which is incorporated outside circuit board 32 (toward the rear when the terminal block lid is attached to the microcomputer meter and integrated with it), so that spring terminal 430 of the terminal block lid can contact specific terminal block terminal 530 without interfering with circuit board 32. Furthermore, the position of spring terminal 430 can be changed simply by changing the positions of female thread 43a and notch 43b of middle plate 43, so that the terminal block lid can be efficiently assembled according to the position of terminal block terminal 530 used in microcomputer meter 51. In addition, the spring terminal 430 has at its upper part a bent portion 431 that opens to the front and is bent, and an abutment portion 432 that extends downward from the bent portion 431, and the bent portion 431 and the abutment portion 432 each come into contact with the terminal 530 inside the terminal block, so that the spring terminal 430 and the terminal 530 inside the terminal block come into sufficient contact and good conductivity can be ensured.

[0035] Furthermore, spring terminal 430 has an inclined portion 433 that extends obliquely forward from the lower end of abutting portion 432, and a fixed portion 434 that extends downward from the lower end of inclined portion 433 and is fixed to middle plate 43. Therefore, when the terminal block cover is attached to microcomputer meter 51 and is integrated with it, sufficient stress is generated by the deflection of spring terminal 430 when it comes into contact with terminal 530 inside the terminal block, and the terminals are forced to abut closer together, so that spring terminal 430 and terminal 530 inside the terminal block come into even more sufficient contact, ensuring good conductivity.

[0036] The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, although the terminals in the terminal block of the microcomputer meter are screw-shaped, terminals of a different shape may be used. [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] 11 Main unit 13 Upright part 14 Depth 15. Window 16 Wireway 17 Recess 21 Bottom body 26 Wireway 31 Communication unit 32 PCB 33 Antenna 34 Batteries 35 Luminous Object 37 Magnetic Sensor 38 Lead Wire 41 Light guiding material 43 Middle Plate 43a Female thread 43b Notch 430 Spring terminal 431 Bend 432 Contact part 433 Slope 434 Fixed part 434a screw hole 45 screws (for attaching the terminal block cover) 46 screws (for attaching the bottom body) 47 Screw (for attaching the communication unit) 48 screws (for attaching the middle plate) 49 Gasket 51 Microcomputer Meter 52 steps 53 Terminal block 530 Terminal inside terminal block 54 Lower plate 55 Female thread 56 Cable 57 Bush 58 Entrance cap 59 Exit cap 60 Return button 61 LCD panel

Claims

1. a terminal block cover having a main body that covers the terminal block of a microcomputer meter and a bottom body that is attached to the bottom of the main body, the terminal block having a plurality of terminals within the terminal block, the main body being L-shaped with an upright portion that covers one side of the microcomputer meter and a deep portion that covers the bottom of the microcomputer meter, the main body incorporating a communication unit having wireless communication capabilities, a spring terminal that is connected to the communication unit and is a leaf spring, and a middle plate to which the spring terminal is attached, the spring terminal having at its upper part a bent portion that opens to one side and is bent, and an abutment portion that extends downward from the lower end of the bent portion, and when attached to the microcomputer meter and integrated with it, the middle plate is on the other side of the communication unit, and the bent portion and the abutment portion of the spring terminal are in contact with a specific terminal within the terminal block.

2. 2. The terminal block cover according to claim 1, further comprising: an inclined portion extending obliquely to one side from the lower end of the abutment portion; and a fixing portion extending downward from the lower end of the inclined portion and fixed to the middle plate.

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