Water meter unit

Abstract

To provide a water meter unit that can reduce the overall size.SOLUTION: A water meter unit is installed in a water supply system and includes a water meter 1 that measures the flow rate of tap water, a valve 2 installed downstream of the water meter 1, a pedestal 5 that supports the water meter 1 and the valve 2, and a communication control body 6 that can communicate with an external device. The communication control body 6 includes a housing box 60 made of metal or resin, a communication unit 61 that communicates with the external device, a control unit 62 that controls the water meter 1 and the valve 2, and a power supply unit 63 that supplies power to each unit. The housing box 60 containing the control unit 62 and the power supply unit 63 is placed in a space S inside the pedestal.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a water meter unit that is provided in a water supply and is capable of communicating with an external device. [Background Art]

[0002] Generally, a water meter unit includes a water meter that measures the flow rate of water flowing through a water supply, a valve such as a stop plug provided upstream or downstream of the water meter in the water supply, and a pedestal that supports the water meter and the valve. In recent years, there have been proposals in which a water meter unit is connected to an information terminal on the water bureau side or the user side via a network to automatically perform flow rate measurement and control of each part (see Patent Documents 1 to 3).

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses that when a "shut off" button displayed on a user's mobile terminal is selected only when the flow rate has been confirmed, the shutoff part of the measuring device shuts off the water supply, and by displaying a completion notification on the user's mobile terminal, battery consumption of the measuring device caused by unnecessary valve operation is prevented, which is an information terminal for water meters.

[0004] In addition, Patent Document 2 discloses a water meter that has a flow rate detection unit, a flow rate control unit and a control unit, wherein the flow rate control unit 3 includes a valve body 34 capable of opening and closing a flow path opening 32, and a stepping motor 35 that drives the opening and closing of the valve body 34, and the driving of the stepping motor 35 is controlled by the control unit 4.

[0005] Furthermore, Patent Document 3 discloses a water meter that includes a storage box, an automatic valve having a drive unit disposed inside the storage box, a water meter, and a water stop valve. A control device is stored in the storage box, the automatic valve and the water meter are connected to the control device, and the control device sends a signal from the water meter to the outside and opens and closes the automatic valve according to a drive signal from the outside. [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2018-36050 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2000-258201 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2001-317972 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] However, while all water meter units include a communication unit capable of notifying external devices, a control unit that controls the water meter and / or valves, and a power supply unit such as a battery that can supply power to each part, all of these were located outside the water meter (on the meter box cover or the building wall, etc.), which resulted in the water meter unit as a whole becoming larger.

[0008] This invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a water meter unit that can be miniaturized as a whole. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a water meter unit installed in a water supply system, comprising: a water meter for measuring the flow rate of tap water; valves provided upstream and / or downstream of the water meter; a base for supporting the water meter and valves; a communication unit capable of communicating with an external device; a control unit for controlling the water meter and / or valves; and a power supply unit capable of supplying power to each unit, wherein at least one of the communication unit, the control unit, or the power supply unit is provided on the base.

[0010] According to this, at least one of the communication unit, the control unit, or the power supply unit will be installed in the dead space around the base, thus making the entire water meter unit smaller.

[0011] Furthermore, at least one of the communication unit, the control unit, or the power supply unit may be provided in the space inside the base. This allows at least one of the communication unit, the control unit, or the power supply unit to be provided in the completely dead space inside the base, thus enabling the entire water meter unit to be made smaller.

[0012] Furthermore, the communication unit, the control unit, and the power supply unit may all be located in the space inside the base. In this case, the communication unit, the control unit, or the power supply unit will all be located in the dead space inside the base, which can be further miniaturized.

[0013] Furthermore, the communication unit may be located on the outside of the base, while the control unit and power supply unit may be located in the space inside the base. This arrangement ensures stable communication because the communication unit is located on the outside of the base.

[0014] Furthermore, the base may have a housing box for accommodating the communication unit, the control unit, and / or the power supply unit, which is located in the space inside the base. This protects the communication unit, the control unit, and / or the power supply unit from dust and water because they are housed in a housing box located in the space inside the base. Additionally, when replacing the communication unit, the control unit, or the power supply unit, the housing box can be easily and reliably replaced by removing it from the base, replacing the entire housing box or individual parts within the housing box, and then reattaching the housing box to the base.

[0015] Furthermore, the base may have an opening on the side where the water meter is installed for inserting and removing the communication unit, the control unit, and / or the power supply unit. This prevents the theft of the communication unit, the control unit, and / or the power supply unit, as the opening is closed by the water meter when the water meter unit is installed in the predetermined location.

[0016] Furthermore, the base may have an opening on the side opposite to the side where the water meter is installed, for inserting and removing the communication unit, the control unit, and / or the power supply unit. This prevents the theft of the communication unit, the control unit, and / or the power supply unit, as the opening is closed by the installation surface such as the ground when the water meter unit is installed in the predetermined location.

[0017] Furthermore, the base may have an opening formed on its side in the width direction perpendicular to the direction in which the water meter is installed, for inserting and removing the communication unit, the control unit, and / or the power supply unit. This allows the communication unit, the control unit, and / or the power supply unit to be inserted and removed through the opening while the water meter unit is installed in a predetermined location, thus enabling easy and reliable replacement of the communication unit, the control unit, or the power supply unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the present invention, at least one of the communication unit, the control unit, or the power supply unit is provided in the dead space around the base, so the entire water meter unit can be miniaturized.

[0019] Furthermore, when covering all or part of the water meter unit with insulating material as a measure against cold, at least one of the communication unit, the control unit, or the power supply unit can also be covered, making it easier to implement measures to suppress performance degradation of the communication unit, the control unit, or the power supply unit due to cold or rapid temperature changes. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0020] [Figure 1] It is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a water meter unit control system. [Figure 2] It is a front configuration diagram of the water meter unit in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] It is a bottom configuration diagram of the water meter unit in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] It is a left side configuration diagram of the water meter unit in FIG. 1. [Figure 5] It is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of a water meter unit. MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0021] Next, a water meter unit control system according to the present invention (hereinafter referred to as the present system) will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5.

[0022] [Overall Configuration of the Present System] As shown in FIG. 1, the present system includes a water meter unit (100) provided in a water supply, a waterworks bureau-side information terminal (200) disposed at a waterworks bureau, a user-side information terminal (300) owned by a water user, and a server (400) connected to the water meter unit (100), the waterworks bureau-side information terminal (200), and the user-side information terminal (300) via a network.

[0023] The waterworks bureau-side information terminal (200) and the user-side information terminal (300) are smartphones, tablet terminals, mobile phone terminals, wearable terminals, or personal computers owned by users, and communicate with the server (400) via a network such as the Internet.

[0024] As described above, the server 400 is connected to the waterworks bureau's information terminal 200 and the user's information terminal 300 via a network, and is also connected to the water meter unit 100 via a network, and controls communication between the waterworks bureau's information terminal 200 and the user's information terminal 300 and the server 400, and stores predetermined data, as will be described later.

[0025] [Configuration of water meter unit 100] The configuration of the water meter unit 100 will be described in detail below. In this specification, "upstream side" refers to the upstream side of the water flow from the stopcock 4 to the valve 2 in Figure 2, and "downstream side" refers to the downstream side of the water flow from the stopcock 4 to the valve 2 in Figure 2. "Right side" refers to the right side when looking from the upstream side to the downstream side in Figure 4, and "left side" refers to the left side when looking from the upstream side to the downstream side in Figure 4.

[0026] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the water meter unit 100 includes a water meter 1 installed in the middle of the water supply to measure the flow rate of water flowing through the water supply, a valve 2 installed downstream of the water meter 1, a pressure reducing valve 3 installed upstream of the water meter 1 via a joint 7, a stopcock 4 installed upstream of the pressure reducing valve 3, a base 5 that supports the water meter 1 and valve 2, etc., and a communication control unit 6 that performs communication and control. Note that the pressure reducing valve 3 and stopcock 4 are constructed in the same manner as conventionally known ones, so a detailed explanation of them is omitted here.

[0027] The water meter 1 comprises an inlet section 11 through which water flows in from a joint 7, an outlet section 12 through which water flows out, and a meter body section 13 to which the inlet section 11 and the outlet section 12 are connected.

[0028] The meter body 13 is made of a metal or resin casing and includes a measuring unit 131 for measuring water flow rate, pressure, etc., and a display unit 132 for displaying the water flow rate measured by the measuring unit 131. A pipe 133 is provided between the water meter 1 and the communication control unit 6, and the pipe 133 houses various wires for electrically connecting the water meter 1 and the communication control unit 6.

[0029] The valve 2 comprises a valve body 21 connected to the outlet 12 of the water meter 1, a ball stopper (not shown) housed inside the valve body 21, a drive unit 22 for axially rotating the ball stopper, and a rotation transmission mechanism 23 for transmitting the rotation of the drive unit 22 to the ball stopper. A pipe 24 is provided between the valve 2 and the communication control unit 6, and various wires for electrically connecting the valve 2 and the communication control unit 6 are housed in the pipe 24.

[0030] The base 5 comprises a top plate portion 51 which is rectangular in plan view, side plate portions 52 which extend downward from the edges around the top plate portion 51, and a base plate portion 53 which extends horizontally outward from the lower end of the side plate portion 52. It is installed on a predetermined installation surface F, and a space S is formed inside the area surrounded by the top plate portion 51, the side plate portions 52, and the installation surface F.

[0031] The top plate portion 51 is provided below the water meter 1, extending from the inlet portion 11 of the water meter 1 along the outlet portion 12 of the valve 2.

[0032] The side plate portion 52 consists of an upstream side plate portion 52a extending downward from the upstream edge of the top plate portion 51, a downstream side plate portion 52b extending downward from the downstream edge of the top plate portion 51, a right side plate portion 52c extending downward from the right edge of the top plate portion 51, and a left side plate portion 52d extending downward from the left edge of the top plate portion 51.

[0033] The base plate portion 53 consists of an upstream base portion 53a extending upstream from the lower end of the upstream side plate portion 52a and a downstream base portion 53b extending downstream from the upper end of the downstream side plate portion 52b, and is fixed to the installation surface F by bolts or the like (not shown).

[0034] Furthermore, the base 5 is provided with a holding portion 8 on its top plate portion 51. This holding portion 8 consists of an upstream holding portion 81 provided on the upper surface on the upstream side of the top plate portion 51 and a downstream holding portion 82 provided on the upper surface on the downstream side of the top plate portion 51. The upstream holding portion 81 holds the inlet portion 11 of the water meter 1, and the downstream holding portion 82 holds the outlet portion 12 of the water meter 1. As a result, the base 5 supports the water meter 1 via the holding portion 8 (upstream holding portion 81 and downstream holding portion 82) while maintaining a predetermined gap.

[0035] Furthermore, the communication control unit 6 comprises a housing box 60 made of a metal or resin casing, a communication unit 61 capable of communicating with external devices, a control unit 62 that controls the water meter 1 and valve 2, and a power supply unit 63 capable of supplying power to each part.

[0036] The aforementioned housing box 60 has a communication unit 61 on the outside and houses a control unit 62 and a power supply unit 63 on the inside, and is arranged to fit within the space S formed inside the base 5.

[0037] The aforementioned communication unit 61 is a communication antenna that has the function of communicating with the waterworks bureau's information terminal 200 and the user's information terminal 300 via a network. It is installed in such a manner that it passes through the right side plate portion 52c of the base 5 from the housing box 60, and then extends upward from the base 5, passing to the right of the water meter 1.

[0038] As shown in Figure 5, when the control unit 62 receives a water flow control or shut-off instruction from the waterworks bureau's information terminal 200 or the user's information terminal 300 via the communication unit 61, it controls the drive unit 22 to rotate the ball stopper body axially in a predetermined direction or the opposite direction in the horizontal plane via the rotation transmission mechanism 23, thereby opening and closing the valve 2. Furthermore, when the control unit 62 receives a flow rate measurement instruction from the waterworks bureau's information terminal 200 or the user's information terminal 300 via the communication unit 61, it controls the water meter 1 to measure the flow rate. In addition, when requested by the waterworks bureau's information terminal 200 or the user's information terminal 300, the control unit 62 transmits various data from the water meter unit 9, such as the water flow rate measurement result from the water meter 1, the water pressure measurement result, and the open / closed state of the valve 2, to the waterworks bureau's information terminal 200 and / or the user's information terminal 300.

[0039] The power supply unit 63 is a battery consisting of multiple batteries, and supplies power to the control unit 62, as well as the water meter 1, valve 2, communication unit 61, etc., via electrical wiring housed in the pipes 133 and 24.

[0040] Therefore, since the housing box 60, which houses the control unit 62 and the power supply unit 63, is installed in the completely dead space S inside the base 5, the entire water meter unit can be miniaturized. Moreover, since the communication unit 61 is installed on the outside of the housing box 60, stable communication can be ensured.

[0041] Furthermore, since the control unit 62 and the power supply unit 63 are housed in a housing box 6 located in the space S inside the base 5, the control unit 62 and the power supply unit 63 can be protected from dust and water.

[0042] Furthermore, when replacing the battery, which is the power supply unit 63, the power supply unit 63 can be easily and reliably replaced by removing the housing box 60 from the base 5, replacing the power supply unit 63 in the housing box 60, and then reattaching the housing box 60 to the space S inside the base 5. The control unit 62 of the housing box 60 may also be replaced at the same time, or the old housing box 60 may be replaced with a new housing box 60 containing the new control unit 62 and power supply unit 63.

[0043] Furthermore, the base 5 has an opening 5a formed on the vertically lower side where the water meter 1 is installed, for inserting and removing the storage box 60. Therefore, when the water meter unit is installed in a predetermined location, the opening 5a is closed by the installation surface F such as the ground, thus preventing theft of the storage box 60 (control unit 62 and power supply unit 63) located in the space S inside the base 5.

[0044] In this embodiment, the storage box 60 is provided in the space S inside the base, but the storage box 60 may also be provided on the outside of the base 5 (for example, in the gap between the base 5 and the water meter 1).

[0045] Furthermore, although the control unit 62 and power supply unit 63 are housed in the housing box 60 and installed in the space S inside the base 5, they may also be installed directly in the space S inside the base 5.

[0046] Furthermore, although the communication unit 61 is provided on the outside of the housing box 60 and the control unit 62 and power supply unit 63 are housed inside the housing box 60, it is also possible to house all three—the communication unit 61, the control unit 62, and the power supply unit 63—inside the housing box 60.

[0047] Furthermore, although the base 5 is shown to consist of a top plate portion 51, a side plate portion 52, and a circuit board portion 53, other configurations are also possible. However, if the communication unit 61, control unit 62, and / or power supply unit 63 are arranged inside the base 5, the base 5 shall be configured to have a space S formed inside.

[0048] Furthermore, although the base 5 is provided with an opening 5a for inserting and removing the storage box 60 on the side where the water meter is installed (the lower side in this embodiment), it is not limited to this. For example, the base 5 may have an opening for inserting and removing the storage box 60 on the side where the water meter 1 is installed (the upper top plate portion 51 in this embodiment). Alternatively, the base 5 may have an opening for inserting and removing the storage box 60 on the side in the width direction perpendicular to the direction in which the water meter 1 is installed (the side plate portion 52 in this embodiment).

[0049] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiments. Various modifications and variations can be made to the illustrated embodiments within the same scope as the present invention, or within the equivalent scope. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0050] 1…Water meter 11...Inlet part 12... Outlet part 13... Meter body 131...Measurement unit 132...Display section 133... Piping 2…valve 21... Valve body 22…Drive unit 23... Rotational transmission mechanism 24... Piping 3… Pressure reducing valve 4…Shut-off valve 5…Pedestal 51...Top panel 52...Side plate part 53... Circuit board section 6…Communication control unit 60... Storage Box 61... Communications Department 62... Control Unit 63...Power supply section 7... Joints 8...Holding part 100...Water meter unit 200... Waterworks Bureau Information Terminal 300...User-side information terminal 400... Server S…Space

Claims

1. A water meter unit installed in a water supply system, A water meter that measures the flow rate of tap water, A valve provided on the upstream and / or downstream side of the water meter, A base for supporting the aforementioned water meter and valve, External device and a communication unit capable of notification, A control unit that controls the water meter and / or valve, It is equipped with a power supply unit capable of supplying power to each part, At least one of the communication unit, the control unit, or the power supply unit is provided in the space inside the base. The water meter unit is characterized in that the base has an opening formed on the side where the water meter is installed for inserting and removing the communication unit, the control unit and / or the power supply unit.

2. A water meter unit installed in a water supply system, A water meter that measures the flow rate of tap water, A valve provided on the upstream and / or downstream side of the water meter, A base for supporting the aforementioned water meter and valve, External device and a communication unit capable of notification, A control unit that controls the water meter and / or valve, It is equipped with a power supply unit capable of supplying power to each part, At least one of the communication unit, the control unit, or the power supply unit is provided in the space inside the base. The water meter unit is characterized in that the base has an opening formed on the side opposite to the side where the water meter is installed, for inserting and removing the communication unit, the control unit and / or the power supply unit.

3. A water meter unit installed in a water supply system, A water meter that measures the flow rate of tap water, A valve provided on the upstream and / or downstream side of the water meter, A base for supporting the aforementioned water meter and valve, External device and a communication unit capable of notification, A control unit that controls the water meter and / or valve, It is equipped with a power supply unit capable of supplying power to each part, At least one of the communication unit, the control unit, or the power supply unit is provided in the space inside the base. The water meter unit is characterized in that the base has an opening formed on the side in the width direction perpendicular to the direction in which the water meter is installed, for inserting and removing the communication unit, the control unit and / or the power supply unit.

4. The water meter unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the communication unit, the control unit, and the power supply unit are all provided in the space inside the base.

5. The water meter unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the communication unit is provided on the outside of the base, and the control unit and the power supply unit are provided in the space inside the base.

6. The water meter unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a housing box for housing the communication unit, the control unit and / or the power supply unit is arranged in the space inside the base.

Images