Gas meter

Abstract

To provide a gas meter with which, even when the place of installation is a narrow spot, it is possible to retrieve and hold measurement information in a gas meter housing or easily mount at least an auxiliary machine terminal to the gas meter housing that is capable of communicating measurement information with the outside.SOLUTION: The present invention comprises: an adapter member 30 having a contact part 31 which can be mounted to the surface of a communication terminal C before the communication terminal C is mounted to a gas meter housing 50 and has a contact surface that is in contact with the surface of the communication terminal C, and an extension part 32 which is bent and extends from the contact part 31; and a fixing mechanism 51a for fixing only a top face 50a and a bottom face 50b of the gas meter housing 50 and the extension part 32 of the adapter member 30, while the contact part 31 of the adapter member 30 is in the state of facing a side peripheral surface of the gas meter housing 50.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a gas meter that includes a gas meter main body that has a communication terminal unit as a communication interface with the outside and that measures the flow rate of gas flowing inside, and an auxiliary equipment terminal that extracts and stores measurement information measured by the gas meter main body, or that can at least communicate the measurement information with the outside. [Background technology]

[0002] Gas meters are known that measure the flow rate of gas flowing inside using an ultrasonic meter or the like, and that display the cumulative flow rate of the measured gas on a display unit provided on the housing.In such a configuration, the cumulative flow rate displayed on the display unit is confirmed through inspection work and is used for billing, etc. On the other hand, gas meters equipped with communication terminals capable of wireless communication and load measuring devices that measure loads, for example, at night to measure demand, are known (see Patent Document 1), and in some cases the communication terminals and load measuring devices are installed outside the gas meter housing. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-25514 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] As described above, when a gas meter equipped with a communication terminal or load measuring device outside the gas meter housing is replaced at the expiration of its certification period, the gas meter housing (meter body) must be replaced and installed in the narrow space, and then the communication terminal and load measuring device must be screwed to the gas meter housing using a connecting jig such as a screwdriver. However, in some cases, gas meters need to be installed in narrow locations where it is difficult to secure working space, especially in the side areas, and after the gas meter housing is connected to the gas piping, there is a risk that it will not be possible to screw the communication terminal or load measuring device to the gas meter housing using a connecting jig such as a screwdriver.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a gas meter that can easily have an auxiliary equipment terminal attached to the gas meter housing that can extract and store measurement information in the gas meter housing, or at least communicate the measurement information with the outside, even if the installation location is narrow. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The gas meter to achieve the above purpose is: A gas meter including a gas meter housing having a communication terminal unit as a communication interface with the outside and a built-in gas meter main body that measures the flow rate of gas flowing through the gas meter housing, and an auxiliary equipment terminal that can extract and store measurement information measured by the gas meter housing or at least communicate the measurement information with the outside, characterized by the following configuration: an adapter member that can be attached to a surface of the auxiliary equipment terminal before the auxiliary equipment terminal is attached to the gas meter housing, and that has an abutment portion having an abutment surface that abuts on the surface of the auxiliary equipment terminal, and an extension portion that is bent and extends from the abutment portion; The abutting portion of the adapter member faces the side peripheral surface of the gas meter housing, and the top and bottom surfaces of the gas meter housing are Both a fixing mechanism for fixing the extension portion of the adapter member to the 、 the adapter member is made of an elastically deformable material, and has a first extension portion as the fixing mechanism, which is an extension portion extending from one end of the abutting portion, and a second extension portion as the fixing mechanism, which is an extension portion extending from the other end of the abutting portion, a first engaging portion that engages with the first locked portion is provided on the top surface of the gas meter housing as the fixing mechanism, and a second engaging portion that engages with the second locked portion is provided on the bottom surface of the gas meter housing as the fixing mechanism, The adapter member is fixed to the gas meter housing by the fixing mechanism in a state in which the abutting portion of the adapter member faces the side peripheral surface of the gas meter housing, the first engaging portion engages with the first locked portion, and the second engaging portion engages with the second locked portion. It's at the point.

[0007] According to the above characteristic configuration, an adapter member is provided that can be attached to the surface of the auxiliary terminal before the auxiliary terminal is attached to the gas meter housing, so that the auxiliary terminal and the adapter member can be attached in an area outside of a narrow area where installation work is relatively easy to perform, thereby improving workability. Furthermore, the adapter member has an abutment portion having an abutment surface that abuts on the surface of the auxiliary equipment terminal and an extension portion that is bent and extended from the abutment portion, and the abutment portion of the adapter member faces the side peripheral surface of the gas meter housing, and the adapter member is connected to the top surface and bottom surface of the gas meter housing. Both Since a fixing mechanism for fixing the extension portion of the adapter member is provided, the auxiliary equipment terminal attached to the adapter member can be attached to the top surface portion of the gas meter housing where it is relatively easy to secure a working space. and Bottom part minutes In both cases, the fixing mechanism provides good fixation. As a result, even if the installation location is small, a gas meter can be realized in which an auxiliary equipment terminal that can extract and store measurement information from the gas meter housing or at least communicate the measurement information with the outside can be easily attached to the gas meter housing. In the present invention, the side peripheral surface of the gas meter housing refers to the surfaces excluding the top and bottom surfaces of the gas meter housing in the installed state, and is a concept including the front, side, and rear surfaces.

[0009] Also, According to the above characteristic configuration, the adapter member is made of an elastically deformable member that is itself elastically deformable, and a first engaging portion is provided on a first extension portion at one end of the abutment portion of the adapter member, and a second engaging portion is provided on a second extension portion at the other end of the abutment portion, thereby forming a so-called U-shape.For example, by elastically deforming the adapter member and applying a clamping force between the first extension portion and the second extension portion to clamp the top and bottom surfaces of the gas meter housing, the first engaging portion is engaged with the first engaging portion on the top surface of the gas meter housing, and the second engaging portion is engaged with the second engaging portion on the bottom surface of the gas meter housing, the adapter member can be securely fixed to the gas meter housing.

[0012] Further characteristic configurations of the gas meter include: an extension plate portion that faces the abutment portion of the adapter member is provided on the surface of the accessory terminal; a female screw opening having a female screw cut on an inner periphery of the contact portion of the adapter member, and a second opening formed in the extension plate portion; The adapter member is attached to the auxiliary equipment terminal in a state in which a second screw member that can be screwed into the female screw hole is inserted into the second hole of the extension plate portion and screwed into the female screw hole.

[0013] According to the above characteristic configuration, the adapter member can be easily attached to the auxiliary equipment terminal by screwing the second screw member into the female screw hole provided in the abutment portion and the extension plate portion integrally formed on the surface of the auxiliary equipment terminal.

[0014] Further characteristic configurations of the gas meter include: The auxiliary equipment terminal is at least one of a load measuring device that extracts and stores data necessary for a demand contract, including all-day usage, maximum usage, and nighttime usage, as the measurement information from the gas meter main body, or a communication terminal that can communicate the measurement information from the gas meter main body with the outside.

[0015] According to the above characteristic configuration, a load measuring device or a communication terminal that needs to extract or transmit information to the outside can be installed outside the gas meter housing, which is often made of metal, and since it is possible to extract or transmit information to the outside even with a signal of relatively weak strength, it is possible to reduce power consumption and improve the life of batteries, etc. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the gas meter in a state where a communication terminal is attached to the gas meter housing. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the gas meter with the communication terminal removed from the gas meter housing. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a front view of the gas meter with the communication terminal attached to the gas meter housing. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the gas meter with the communication terminal attached to the gas meter housing. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a communication terminal. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a network formed by communication terminals of gas meters. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a gas meter according to another embodiment in a state where a communication terminal is attached to the gas meter housing. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a gas meter according to another embodiment in a state in which a communication terminal is detached from the gas meter housing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] A gas meter according to an embodiment of the present invention relates to a gas meter that can easily have a communication terminal attached to the gas meter housing that can extract and store measurement information from the gas meter housing or at least communicate the measurement information with the outside, even if the installation location is small. The gas meter 100 according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0018] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the gas meter 100 has a meter inlet 11 connected to a gas pipe outlet end (not shown) connected to a gas supply source, and a meter outlet 12 connected to a gas pipe inlet end (not shown) connected to a gas supply destination where a gas consumption unit is located.The gas meter 100 also has an ultrasonic flow meter (not shown) inside the gas meter housing 50 as a gas meter main body 60 (shown in Figure 5) that measures the flow rate of gas (e.g., city gas 13A) that flows into the interior from the meter inlet 11. Furthermore, the gas meter housing 50 is configured to have, on its front surface 50c, a display unit 14 that displays the flow rate measured by the gas meter main body 60, a shut-off switch 13 for emergency shut-off of a shut-off valve (not shown) that blocks the gas flow path through which gas flows, and a communication terminal unit 15 for exchanging various information such as the gas flow rate measured by the gas meter main body 60.

[0019] The gas meter 100 according to this embodiment includes a communication terminal C as an auxiliary terminal that is capable of communicating the measurement status of the gas meter main body 60 with the outside, and as shown in particular in Figures 3 and 4, the communication terminal C is connected to the communication terminal unit 15 by a connection wire S in a state where it is attached to the gas meter housing 50. In this embodiment, the connection wire S is connected to a terminal block (not shown) of the communication terminal unit 15 via an opening 16 formed in the lower end of the communication terminal unit 15.

[0020] 5, the communication terminal C is a multi-stage medium-diameter radio device, and is made of an appropriate resin member or the like so that its outer surface has substantially the same appearance (color, gloss, texture, etc.) as the outer surface of the gas meter housing 50. In addition, the outer surface may be painted appropriately so that it has substantially the same appearance as the outer surface of the gas meter housing 50. The communication terminal C is connected to the communication terminal unit 15 via a connection line S, and is configured to be able to receive various information acquired by the ultrasonic flowmeter (gas meter main body 60).Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5, the communication terminal C is equipped with an antenna C1 for transmitting and receiving signals, a wireless unit C2 consisting of a transmitting unit C2a that modulates and amplifies the radio waves to be transmitted and a receiving unit C2b that amplifies and demodulates the received radio waves, a control unit C3 that controls the transmission and reception of various signals from the wireless unit C2 and performs various controls using various programs, setting values, etc. stored in the memory unit C4, and a communication interface C5 for communicating with the gas meter main body 60.

[0021] Furthermore, the communication terminal C is a multi-stage medium-diameter radio device, as shown in Fig. 6, and functions as a wireless automatic meter reading system. The multiple communication terminals C installed at each consumer are connected to each other by a multi-stage relay radio, and at least one of the multiple communication terminals C connected in this way has a gateway radio function in addition to a multi-stage relay radio function. The communication terminal Cx having the gateway wireless function not only communicates with other communication terminals C by using the multi-stage relay wireless function, but also has a wide-area wireless function and is configured to be able to communicate with the communication center TS via the network line N as a wide-area communication line. This realizes a wireless automatic meter reading system.

[0022] In such an automatic wireless meter reading system, for example, when the communication center TS requests information about the amount of gas used by each consumer, the information about the amount of gas used, etc. is transmitted as a signal from the communication terminal C of each gas meter 100. Also, in the automatic wireless meter reading system, the communication terminals C of the gas meters 100 of each consumer are connected to each other only by wireless communication, which makes the wiring work for communication extremely easy.

[0023] Now, the gas meter 100 may need to be connected to a gas pipe in a relatively narrow location. Even in such a case, the gas meter 100 has the following configuration to easily connect the communication terminal C to the gas meter housing 50. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the gas meter 100 is equipped with an adapter member 30 that can be attached to the surface of the communication terminal C before the communication terminal C is attached to the gas meter housing 50, and that has a contact portion 31 with a contact surface that contacts the surface of the communication terminal C and extension portions 32, 33 that bend and extend from the contact portion 31, and a fixing mechanism that fixes only the top surface 50a and bottom surface 50b of the gas meter housing 50 to the extension portions 32, 33 of the adapter member 30 in a state where the contact portion 31 of the adapter member 30 faces the side peripheral surface of the gas meter housing 50. The side peripheral surfaces of the gas meter housing 50 refer to the surfaces excluding the top and bottom surfaces of the gas meter housing 50 in the installed state, and are a concept including the front, side, and rear surfaces, and in this embodiment, refer to the side surfaces of the gas meter housing 50. In this embodiment, the gas meter housing 50 is assumed to have a rectangular parallelepiped shape.

[0024] The adapter member 30 is made of an elastically deformable material (for example, a weather-resistant resin material such as AES or ASA or a metal material) that is elastically deformable itself, and has a first extended opening 32a (an example of a first interlocking portion) as a fixing mechanism in each of a pair of first extended portions 32 that are extended portions extending from one end of the abutting portion 31, and has a second extended opening 33a (an example of a second interlocking portion) as a fixing mechanism in each of a pair of second extended portions 33 that are extended portions extending from the other end of the abutting portion 31. That is, in the adapter member 30, the first extension portion 32, the contact portion 31, and the second extension portion 33 are configured in a U-shape when viewed in the front direction from the front surface 50c of the gas meter housing 50. Furthermore, a pair of first bulges 51a (an example of first engagement portions) that engage with a pair of first extended openings 32a are provided on the top surface 50a of the gas meter housing 50 as a fixing mechanism, and a pair of second bulges 52a (an example of second engagement portions) that engage with a pair of second extended openings 33a are provided on the bottom surface 50b of the gas meter housing 50 as a fixing mechanism.

[0025] By employing the above configuration, with the abutting portion 31 of the adapter member 30 facing the side peripheral surface of the gas meter housing 50, the first extended opening 32a engages with the first bulging portion 51a and the second extended opening 33a engages with the second bulging portion 52a, whereby the fixing mechanism fixes the adapter member 30 to the gas meter housing 50. That is, during the fixing process, the abutting portion 31 of the adapter member 30 mainly elastically deforms, fitting the first bulging portion 51a into the first extended opening 32a and fitting the second bulging portion 52a into the second extended opening 33a, and the adapter member 30 is fixed to the gas meter housing 50 in a form in which the top surface 50a and the bottom surface 50b of the gas meter housing 50 are sandwiched between the first extended portion 32 and the second extended portion 33.

[0026] Here, the configuration relating to the attachment of the adapter member 30 and the communication terminal C will be explained in more detail. On the surface of the communication terminal C, in an attachment position in which the adapter member 30 is attached to the communication terminal C, an extended plate portion Ce is provided that faces the abutment portion 31 of the adapter member 30, and a pair of female screw openings 31a with female threads cut on the inner circumference are formed in the abutment portion 31 of the adapter member 30, and a pair of second openings Cf are formed in the extended plate portion Ce, and the adapter member 30 is attached to the communication terminal C in a form in which a pair of second screw members B2 that can be screwed into the pair of female screw openings 31a are inserted into the pair of second openings Cf of the extended plate portion Ce and screwed into the female screw openings 31a.

[0027] Regarding the sizes of the gas meter housing 50 and the communication terminal C, as shown in FIG. 3, in the mounted state, the length α2 of the communication terminal C is shorter than the length α1 of the gas meter housing 50 in the vertical direction (the direction along the arrow Z), and the top surface 50a of the communication terminal C is installed lower than the top surface 50a of the gas meter housing 50, and the bottom surface 50b of the communication terminal C is installed higher than the bottom surface 50b of the gas meter housing 50. Furthermore, with regard to the sizes of the gas meter housing 50 and the communication terminal C, as shown in FIG. 4, in the mounted state, the length α4 of the communication terminal C is shorter than the length α3 of the gas meter housing 50 in the front-to-back direction (the direction along the arrow Y), and the front surface Cc of the communication terminal C is located rearward of the front surface 50c of the gas meter housing 50, and the rear surface Cd of the communication terminal C is located forward of the rear surface 50d of the gas meter housing 50. These configurations improve the aesthetic appearance of the entire gas meter 100 in the installed state, and also improve the stability of placement on a placement surface (not shown).

[0028] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the gas meter housing 50 has four legs 21 provided near the four corners of its rectangular bottom surface 50b, and the length α6 of the legs 21 in the vertical direction (the direction along arrow Z) is configured to be larger than the outer diameter α5 of the connection wire S, and the connection wire S is affixed to the bottom surface 50b of the gas meter housing 50 with sealing tape 22.

[0029] [Another embodiment] (1) In the above embodiment, the gas meter 100 is configured as an ultrasonic flow meter, but it may be configured as a membrane meter.

[0030] (2) In the above embodiment, the auxiliary equipment terminal is an example of a communication terminal C, but it can also be a load measuring device that extracts and stores data necessary for a demand contract, including all-day usage, maximum usage, and nighttime usage, as measurement information from the gas meter main body 60. Furthermore, both the communication terminal C and the load measuring device may be provided as the auxiliary equipment terminal.

[0031] (3) In the above embodiment, the gas meter 100 is configured such that the abutment portion 31 of the adapter member 30 faces the side peripheral surface of the gas meter housing 50, and is equipped with a fixing mechanism that fixes only the top surface 50a and the bottom surface 50b of the gas meter housing 50 to the extension portions 32, 33 of the adapter member 30. As another configuration example, the fixing mechanism may be configured so that the abutment portion 31 of the adapter member 30 faces the side peripheral surface of the gas meter housing 50, and so that only the top surface 50a of the gas meter housing 50 and the extension portion 32 of the adapter member 30 are fixed. More specifically, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, the fixing mechanism is composed of a pair of first openings 32b provided in a pair of extension portions 32 extending from one end of the abutment portion 31, and a pair of first screw members B3 that can be fastened to a pair of screw holes 51b formed only on the top surface 50a of the gas meter housing 50, and a configuration may be adopted in which the adapter member 30 is fixed to the gas meter housing 50 in a state in which the abutment portion 31 of the adapter member 30 faces the side peripheral surface of the gas meter housing 50, and the first screw members B3 inserted into the first openings 32b are fastened to the screw holes 51b. The screw holes 51b may be provided only on the bottom surface 50b of the gas meter housing 50, rather than on the top surface 50a.

[0032] (4) In the above embodiment, the fixing mechanism is configured to include the first bulge portion 51a and the second bulge portion 52a in the gas meter housing 50. However, instead of the first bulge portion 51a and the second bulge portion 52a, a configuration including a female screw hole and a screw member may be adopted. That is, although not shown in the figures, a female screw hole may be provided in the area where the first bulge portion 51a and the second bulge portion 52a of the gas meter housing 50 were provided, and a screw that screws into the female screw hole may be inserted through the first extended hole 32a and the second extended hole 33a and screwed into the female screw hole, thereby fixing the adapter member 30 to the gas meter housing 50.

[0033] Furthermore, the configurations disclosed in the above embodiments (including other embodiments, the same applies below) can be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments, as long as no contradictions arise. Furthermore, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are examples, and the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to these, and can be modified as appropriate within the scope that does not deviate from the purpose of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0034] The gas meter of the present invention can be effectively used as a gas meter in which an auxiliary equipment terminal that can extract and store measurement information in the gas meter housing or at least communicate measurement information with the outside can be easily attached to the gas meter housing, even in a small installation location. [Explanation of symbols]

[0035] 15: Communication terminal section 30: Adapter part 31: Contact part 31a:Female screw hole 32: 1st extension section 32a: 1st extension hole 32b: 1st hole 33:Second extension section 33a: 2nd extension hole 50: Gas meter housing 50a:Top surface 51a: 1st bulge 51b: Screw hole 50b: Bottom 52a: Second bulge 60: Gas meter body 100: Gas meter B2: Second screw component C: Communication terminal Ca: Extension plate part Cb: 2nd hole S: Connection line

Claims

1. A gas meter including a gas meter housing having a communication terminal unit as a communication interface with the outside and a built-in gas meter main body that measures the flow rate of gas flowing through the gas meter housing, and an auxiliary equipment terminal that can extract and store measurement information measured by the gas meter housing or at least communicate the measurement information with the outside, an adapter member that can be attached to a surface of the auxiliary equipment terminal before the auxiliary equipment terminal is attached to the gas meter housing, and that has an abutment portion having an abutment surface that abuts on the surface of the auxiliary equipment terminal, and an extension portion that is bent and extends from the abutment portion; a fixing mechanism that fixes both a top surface and a bottom surface of the gas meter housing to the extension portion of the adapter member in a state in which the abutment portion of the adapter member faces a side peripheral surface of the gas meter housing, the adapter member is made of an elastically deformable material, and has a first extension portion as the fixing mechanism, which is an extension portion extending from one end of the abutting portion, and a second extension portion as the fixing mechanism, which is an extension portion extending from the other end of the abutting portion, a first engaging portion that engages with the first locked portion is provided on the top surface of the gas meter housing as the fixing mechanism, and a second engaging portion that engages with the second locked portion is provided on the bottom surface of the gas meter housing as the fixing mechanism, A gas meter in which the adapter member is fixed to the gas meter housing by the fixing mechanism in a form in which the abutment portion of the adapter member faces the side peripheral surface of the gas meter housing, the first engaging portion engages with the first locked portion and the second engaging portion engages with the second locked portion.

2. an extension plate portion that faces the abutment portion of the adapter member is provided on the surface of the accessory terminal; a female screw opening having a female screw cut on an inner periphery of the contact portion of the adapter member, and a second opening formed in the extension plate portion; 2. The gas meter according to claim 1, wherein the adapter member is attached to the auxiliary equipment terminal in a state in which a second screw member that can be threaded into the female screw opening is inserted into the second opening of the extension plate portion and threaded into the female screw opening.

3. 3. The gas meter according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary equipment terminal is at least one of a load measuring device that extracts and stores data necessary for a demand contract, including the amount of all-day usage, maximum usage, and nighttime usage, from the gas meter main body as the measurement information, and a communication terminal that can communicate the measurement information from the gas meter main body with the outside.

Images