AU2011362817B2

AU2011362817B2 - Device for measuring a water flow

Info

Publication number: AU2011362817B2
Application number: AU2011362817A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Matthias Muller-Braun
Original assignee: Husqvarna AB
Current assignee: Husqvarna AB
Priority date: 2011-03-22
Filing date: 2011-03-22
Publication date: 2015-08-27
Anticipated expiration: 2031-03-22
Also published as: TW201239322A; EP2689218A1; EP2689218B1; WO2012126518A1; AU2011362817A1; PL2689218T3; TWI502171B

Abstract

The invention relates to a particularly advantageous design of a device for measuring a water flow, in particular in plant watering devices. Two housing parts which form at least the predominant part of the device housing can be axially joined together, and said housing parts can be fixed relative to each other and separated from each other for maintenance purposes without tools by means of a coupling part.

Description

1 DEVICE FOR MEASURING A WATER FLOW FIELD The invention concerns a device for measuring water flow, especially in plant irrigation facilities. BACKGROUND Dosed irrigation of plants is known to use devices for measuring water flow, which measure the flow rate and/or cumulative volume of water flow through a channel of a device. The measurement results can be displayed and/or processed further in various ways for managing irrigation facilities. A device known from WO 2010/141979 Al contains in the flow channel, in the design typical in itself, a turbine rotor with a magnet arrangement, whose rotation is detected by a sensor mounted outside the channel and evaluated using electronic equipment. The electronic equipment is arranged in a chamber in the device body, which is covered by a lid fixed on with screws. Coupling parts of a water-carrying coupling system can be arranged at the opposite ends of the channel. EP 1884292 Al describes a garden syringe with a water flow meter and display. There is a need to provide a device to assist the measurement of water flow particularly in production, assembly and maintenance. OBJECT OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to substantially achieve at least the above need, or to at least provide a useful alternative.

2 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION There is disclosed herein a device for measuring water flow, the device comprising: a main body comprising a first end having a first opening, a second end having a second opening, and a channel extending between the first and second openings for allowing water flow through the channel, the channel defining a longitudinal axis, the main body further comprising a pocket formed on the second end, the pocket having a pocket opening; a rotor arrangement disposed in the channel, the rotor arrangement having a rotor configured to rotate when water flows therethrough; a secondary body configured to be received at least partially within the pocket so as to cover the pocket opening; an electronic device supported by the secondary body for detecting the rotation of the rotor; and a fixing element screwably coupled to the second end of the main body for securing the secondary body to the main body; wherein the main body and the secondary body are detachable non-destructively from one another. Preferably, the pocket formed on the second end of the main body has a recess as a window on a display panel of the electronic equipment in its outer wall, radial in relation to the channel. To protect the display, this is preferably covered by a transparent pane, which may be part of the secondary body. In a preferred embodiment, the secondary body is in the form of an injection molding body made of transparent material, which forms the transparent pane with a surface of the wall. The fixing element can preferably be screwed with a female thread onto a male thread on the second end of the main body. Preferably, the battery compartment can be sealed and waterproofed using a gasket. At the same time, the seal can form a clamp of the battery that the user can grip to remove the battery easily from the battery compartment. The opening of the battery compartment is preferably hidden while the device is in operating mode by the joined main body and secondary body and is accessible only by detaching the secondary body from the main body.

3 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A preferred embodiment of the invention will be described hereinafter, by way of an example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 shows the components of a preferred design; Fig. 2 shows a device assembled from the components according to Fig. 1; Fig. 3 shows an assembly diagram of a plug with electronic components; Fig. 4 shows the parts of Fig. 3 assembled; Fig. 5 shows another view of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of body parts with fixative; and Fig. 7 shows a cross-section of the device of Fig. 2. DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Fig. 1 shows an oblique view of the essential components of a preferred version of a device for measuring water flow, as per the invention. The components include a main body, also referred to as a base body GK. The base body GK can be manufactured as a plastic injection molding body from a preferably non-transparent material. In the base body GK, there is a channel through which water can flow between the oppositely situated first and second channel openings 01 and 02, in the direction of a longitudinal axis LA. At channel opening 01, there is a first thread GI formed as a male thread on a section of the body surrounding the channel, with a flattening FA provided on one side, on which there are no threads. If the channel's route through the body is non-linear in another design, the longitudinal axes of the channel exits may differ at the two channel openings. In the base body GK, a pocket TA is formed, open axially to the channel end with the first channel opening 01, which is preferably closed on the axial side that is turned away from the 4 channel end at the first channel opening 01. In the base body, there is a window recess AU, as well as a smaller opening SO in the outer body surface facing away from the channel. A turbine unit TE forming the rotor arrangement can be inserted through the second channel opening 02 of base body GK in the channel and fixed therein, for which, advantageously, a coupling part, particularly a hose coupling SK of a plug coupling system, can be screwed with a mating thread into a female thread, not visible in Fig. 1, around the channel through the base body GK at the second channel opening 02. Between turbine unit TA and coupling part SK, an elastomeric seal DT is inserted advantageously through the coupling part -5 SK, and the turbine unit TE, the geometry of the channel and the coupling part SK are coordinated such that, on the screwed coupling part SK, the turbine unit TE is fixed axially and braced in the channel with elastic deformation of sealing DT. The turbine unit TE contains a turbine rotor that can rotate around the Ion 5 gitudinal axis LA, whose rotation around the longitudinal axis LA is detected without contact through the channel wall and evaluated by an electronic device, when water is flowing through the channel. This detection may typically be by a permanent magnet arrangement on the rotor and a magnetic sensor in the electronic device. 10 A plug EK which, advantageously, can also take the form of a plastic injection moulded body, serves with a section as a support for components of an elec tronic system, illustrated in more detail by Fig. 3 to Fig. 6. In particular, the plug EK contains a battery compartment BF for holding a battery BA. A rubber 15 elastic battery seal BD covers the battery compartment on the one hand, and on the other hand, advantageously holds the battery BA in place adhesively at the same time, so that when the rubber-elastic seal BD is pulled off from the opening of the battery compartment at the same time, the battery BA can also be removed from the battery compartment while stuck to the seal. 20 The plug EK has a plate-shaped section AP running transversely to the longitu dinal axis LA, in which a recess AK is formed, which is matched in size and shape to the socket surrounding the channel at channel opening 01. A three dimensionally shaped part of the plug protrudes as electronics support section 25 ET in the axial direction from the plate-shaped section AP. This also forms a receptacle for an electronic board EP next to the battery compartment and can be inserted in the axial direction into the pocket TA of the base body GK. The plate-shaped section AP with the recess AK is then pushed over the socket of the base body GK at the end of the channel at the channel opening 01 with the -6 first thread G1 and fully encompasses the socket. The electronic components are arranged in the second body part, before the assembly of base body GK as the first body part and plug EK as the second body part, as illustrated in Fig. 3 to Fig. 5. 5 If the plug EK is joined with the base body GK in the manner described, where by the electronic support section of the plug EK lies in the pocket TA, the sock et of channel opening 01 with thread G1 will protrude axially over the plate shaped section AP of the plug. A coupling part SN, which may specifically take io the form of a so-called faucet piece with a plug adapter of a water-carrying plug coupling, is preferably screwed manually onto the base body GK without tools, with the female thread formed in the coupling part SN as the mating thread for the thread G1, thereby fixing the plug EK axially to the base body GK at the same time. 15 Fig. 2 shows an oblique view of a fully assembled device, which can be inserted using the complementary plug coupling parts SN and SK in the advantageous, familiar manner into a water-carrying pipe with a plug coupling system. Insertion into a water-carrying pipe can also be accomplished in other ways than through 20 the special coupling parts design. If the user, for maintenance purposes, e.g. to change the battery BA, wishes to have access to the electronic components, the attachment of the plug EK to the base body GK can be loosened by unscrewing the coupling part SN from the 25 thread G1 of the base body GK, and the plug EK, together with the electronic components, can be removed from the base body GK, after which the electron ic components will be easily accessible.

-7 The electronic components may specifically contain an electronic board EP, on which specifically a display panel AF is arranged, as can be seen in Fig. 3 to Fig. 5. This can be used for displaying measurement results and/or device set tings in the familiar way. On the side of the electronics board facing away from 5 the display panel AF, a magnetic sensor MS in particular can be provided, which can be arranged on the side facing away from the display panel AF near the turbine unit, but can also be separated from the turbine unit by the channel wall of the base body. On the electronics board EP, an integrated circuit ar rangement IC can also be arranged, which can fulfill different functions depend 10 ing on the device. The plug FE advantageously forms a transparent window with a window area that faces the device of the window recess AU in its fully assembled state. This means that the user can read the information displayed on the display panel AF 15 through the window recess AU and the transparent window area FE on the plug. Preferably, plug EK is made entirely of the same transparent material. Due to the design of the second body part EK, which uses the same transpar ent material throughout, no additional cover component is required. The water carrying channel is completely surrounded by the non-transparent material of 20 the base body, in order to avoid colonization of the channel by algae. In the area of the window FE, at least one, but preferably both, of the plug surfaces adjoining the window areas to the recess AU or the display panel AF can be given a special surface finish e.g. polished, in order to improve in particular the readability of the information displayed on the display panel AF. Such a surface 25 design can even be specified for the injection molding tool. For the electronic equipment, at least one control element in the form of a but ton switch TS is also provided, which when operated reaches through an open ing SO on the plug and, in its fully assembled state, through this aligned recess -8 SA to the base body GK and can be pressed against a restoring force, prefera bly provided solely by the elastic formation of the control element TS, towards the electronics board EP, enabling control of the device by a user there with sensor surfaces, specifically contact surface acting together. Advantageously, 5 the control element TS can also provisionally fix the plug EK to the base body when joining the body parts formed by the base body GK and plug EK during assembly, by locking into the recess SA in the outer wall surface of the pocket TA on the base body GK. This means that, for the next stage of the assembly, screwing on the coupling parts SN, the plug is already attached to the base 10 body on its own without external support. To separate the two body parts GK and EK, the plug is initially attached to the base body GK by the control ele ment TS after unscrewing the coupling part SN from the thread G1, but can be removed from the base body in the axial direction by pressing the control ele ment TS through the recess SA behind the outer wall of the pocket TA on the 15 base body GK. Fig. 6 shows base body GK, plug EK and coupling part SN in their prepared relative positions, displaced axially relative to the longitudinal axis LA. By sliding the plug EK onto the body GK in the axial direction, at which the electronics 20 carrier section ET of the plug is plunged into the pocket TA of the base body GK and the plate-shaped section AP with the recess AK encompasses the threaded socket G1 surrounding the opening 01 of the channel KA, is provi sionally held on to the base body GK by snapping the control element TS into the recess SA of the plug EK and fixed onto this by screwing on the coupling 25 part SN with its female thread onto thread G1 of the base body of GK. From Fig. 6, one can also see clearly that, advantageously, the volume of the pocket TA can be exploited very well through the flattening FA on the side allocated to pocket TA of the socket surrounding the channel KA at the opening 01, by al lowing the electronic components in the support section ET of the plug EK to be -9 positioned more closely in the direction of the longitudinal axis LA, and hence also closer to the magnetic sensor MS on the turbine unit TE, in comparison to a design with continuous thread G1. 5 Fig. 7 shows a cross-section of a fully assembled device according to Fig. 2, from which can be seen, in particular, the relative location of the magnetic sen sor relative to the turbine unit TE and the position of the display panel AF be hind the recess AU of the base body and the window area FE of the plug. The electronics board EP can, advantageously, be easily stuck in the plug and the 10 pocket by supporting the magnetic sensor MS and integrated circuit IC against the channel wall between the pocket and base body and the turbine unit. Using the coupling part SN, the plate-shaped section AP of the plug is pressed axially against the opposed surfaces of the base body GK, and thus fixed relative to this. The coupling part SN may, as usual, contain a ring seal DN as a seal 15 against the edges of the channel end at the opening 01. The first body part GK and second body part EK between them form the over whelming majority, specifically at least 90% of the mass and outer surface of the device body, which does not include the coupling parts SN and SK, the tur 20 bine unit TE and the electronic components. Advantageously, the turbine unit TE on the one hand and the electronic com ponents on the other hand can be detached independently of each other for maintenance purposes, by releasing the second coupling part of SK or first 25 coupling part SN from the base body, without having to detach the other com ponent from the base body at the same time. Using only two injection molding parts as a first body part GK and second body part EK, and fixing the two body parts relative to one other using a conventional 10 coupling part SN results in the device being particularly cost-effective and easy to install. These properties, those which are shown in the illustrations, and those specified in the disclosure herein, can be implemented both individually and in various combinations. This invention is not restricted to the specified embodiments but can also be adapted in many ways for technical usage.

Claims

1. A device for measuring water flow, the device comprising: a main body comprising a first end having a first opening, a second end having a second opening, and a channel extending between the first and second openings for allowing water flow through the channel, the channel defining a longitudinal axis, the main body further comprising a pocket formed on the second end, the pocket having a pocket opening; a rotor arrangement disposed in the channel, the rotor arrangement having a rotor configured to rotate when water flows therethrough; a secondary body configured to be received at least partially within the pocket so as to cover the pocket opening; an electronic device supported by the secondary body for detecting the rotation of the rotor; and a fixing element screwably coupled to the second end of the main body for securing the secondary body to the main body; wherein the main body and the secondary body are detachable non-destructively from one another.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the main body and the secondary body are manually detached without the use of tools.

3. The device of claim 1 or 2, wherein the secondary body comprises a transverse portion having an aperture formed therein, the aperture being adapted to receive a portion of the second end of the main body surrounding the second opening; a support section for receiving the electronic device; and a battery compartment adjacent to the support section.

4. The device of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fixing element is in the form of a plug connector.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein the battery compartment is salable.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the secondary body further comprises a battery seal for removably sealing the battery compartment, wherein the battery seal is configured to securely hold a battery such that when the battery seal is removed from the battery compartment the battery is removed therewith. 12

7. The device of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a releasable locking connection between the main body and the secondary body.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the locking connection comprises a side wall opening in a side wall of the main body adjacent to the pocket, and a control element coupled to the secondary body and configured to extend through the side wall opening when the secondary body is received within the main body.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the control element is in the form of a button switch.

10. The device of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the rotor arrangement is removable from the channel via the first opening of the main body.

11. The device of claim 10, further comprising a hose coupler screwably coupled to the channel via the first opening of the main body, the hose coupler being adapted to secure the rotor arrangement in the channel.

12. The device of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the main body comprises a non transparent plastic material formed by injection moulding.

13. The device of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the secondary body comprises a transparent plastic material formed by injection moulding.

14. The device of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a magnet arrangement comprising: a permanent magnet disposed on the rotor so as to rotate therewith; and a magnetic sensor in the electronic device, wherein the magnetic sensor is configured to detect the rotation of the permanent magnet when water flows through the channel. Husqvarna AB Patent Attorneys for the Applicant/Nominated Person SPRUSON & FERGUSON