Fluid Meter Form-Locking Fastening Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fluid meters face challenges in secure assembly and protection against manipulation, as fasteners are not readily releasable, and prior solutions often require screw connections and seals that can be destroyed, complicating assembly and increasing the risk of unauthorized access.
Innovation Solution
A fluid meter design featuring a form-locking connection between measuring device fastening elements, measuring section fastening elements, and locking elements, which are securely attached through a plug-in process, eliminating the need for screws and seals, and providing enhanced protection against manipulation by requiring destruction of components to open the meter.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If screw connections with seals are used to fasten the measuring device, then protection against manipulation is improved, but assembly complexity and assembly effort increase
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening system is divided into separate components: a measuring device fastening element connected to the measuring device, a measuring section fastening element fastened to the measuring section part, and a locking element that connects these two fastening elements. This segmentation allows for simpler individual components that assemble together to achieve the desired security and simplicity.
2Reliability
If screw connections with seals are used to fasten the measuring device, then protection against manipulation is improved, but assembly effort increases
Solution Approach 1:
The measuring device fastening element and measuring section fastening element are designed with pre-formed geometric shapes and receiving regions that guide the locking element into place. This preliminary preparation of the fastening elements eliminates the need for time-consuming screw assembly and seal installation, significantly reducing assembly effort while maintaining security.
3Ease of manufacture
If a form-locking connection with multiple plug-in processes is used, then assembly simplicity is improved, but the number of assembly steps increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening function and locking function are merged into an integrated system where the measuring device fastening element and measuring section fastening element work together with the locking element. This merging allows the form-locking connection to achieve both assembly simplicity and secure fastening in a coordinated manner, where the geometric shapes and receiving regions guide the assembly process.
Data Source
AI summary
A fluid meter for detecting a flow quantity and/or flow rate of a fluid flowing through a measuring section includes a measuring section part forming the measuring section, and a measuring device fastened to the measuring section part and projecting into the measuring section through an opening in the measuring section part, for detecting a measured value relating to the flow quantity and/or flow rate and/or emitting a measurement signal detecting the measured value. A measuring device fastening element is connected to the measuring device, and a measuring section fastening element is fastened to the measuring section part. The measuring device fastening element is plugged onto or in the measuring section fastening element. A locking element is plugged into each receiving region of the fastening elements and forms a form-locking connection with the fastening elements to fasten the measuring device on the measuring section part.