GB2245075A

GB2245075A - Commodity consumption motoring

Info

Publication number: GB2245075A
Application number: GB9013442A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alan John Jones; Nicholas John Smyth
Original assignee: General Electric Co PLC
Current assignee: General Electric Co PLC
Priority date: 1990-06-15
Filing date: 1990-06-15
Publication date: 1991-12-18
Anticipated expiration: 2010-06-15
Also published as: GB2245075B; GB9013442D0

Abstract

A motoring arrangement comprises a consumption meter (1) and means (5) for communicating with the meter via a link (11). The communication link (11) includes a two-part optical connector (18), one part (19) of which comprises an elongate member (19), the other part (33) of which comprises means (33) defining an aperture (35) for the receipt of the elongate member (19). The one part (19) or the other part (33) is carried by the motor (1) thereby to electrically isolate the meter (1) at the connection of the communication link (11) to the meter (1). <IMAGE>

Description

Arrangements incorporating a Commodity Consumption Meter This invention relates to arrangements incorporating a commodity consumption meter.

An example of a commodity consumption meter is an electricity consumption meter. Known electricity consumption meters contain information useful to the consumer of the electricity, such information comprising, for example, the meter tariff in force at the present time or the amount of electricity consumed up to the present time at each one of a number of tariffs.

It is thus desirable to provide a connection to the meter for communication with the meter by the consumer to extract such information, which connection must be safe as regards the electrical voltages present, and not vulnerable to interference therewith for the purpose of taking unmetered electricity. Such a connection could also, of course, be used by the electricity supply authority, for example, to automatically read the meter or to change the tariffs of the meter.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an arrangement incorporating a commodity consumption meter wherein such a connection is provided.

According to the present invention there is provided an arrangement comprising: a commodity consumption meter; means associated with said meter for communication therewith; and a communication link between said meter and said means associated via which said communication occurs, said communication link including a two-part optical connector, one part of which comprises an elongate member, the other part of which comprises means defining an aperture for the receipt of said elongate member, said one part or said other part being carried by said meter thereby to electrically isolate the meter at the connection of the communication link to the meter.

One arrangement in accordance with the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the arrangement; Figure 2 is a diagrammatic sectional view of a two-part optical connector of the arrangement; Figure 3 is a cross-section on the line III-III of Figure 2; and Figure 4 shows a modification to the arrangement.

Referring to Figure 1, the arrangement comprises an electricity consumption meter 1 for metering the electricity supplied by way of connections 3 to a consumer, a consumer unit 5, a modem 7 and communication links 9 and 11 between the modem 7 and the meter 1 and the consumer unit 5 and the meter 1 respectively.

The consumer unit 5 enables the consumer to interrogate the meter 1 to determine, for example, the meter tariff in force at the time of interrogation or the amount of electricity consumed up to the time of interrogation at each one of a number of tariffs. The modem 7 is connected by way of connections 13 to the incoming electricity supply connections 3, and is used for remote reading of the meter 1 and changing the amounts of the meter tariffs and the periods over which the meter tariffs are in force.

Each communication link 9, 11 comprises an electrical connection 14 or 15 and, in the terminal block 16 of the meter 1, a two-part optical connector 17 or 18.

Referring to Figure 2, one part of each optical connector 17, 18 comprises an elongate member 19 cylindrical over part of its length and cone shaped over the remainder. The member 19 comprises an elongate translucent body 21, similarly cylindrical over part of its length and cone shaped over the remainder, surrounded by a protective sleeve 27. The protective sleeve 27 further surrounds a light emitter 23 and a light detector 25. The optical properties of the body 21 are such that light entering an end 22 or 24 thereof passes along the length of the body 21 by means of internal reflection at its sides 26 to leave the body 21 at its other end 22 or 24.The emitter 23 is connected to electrical wiring 29 of the electrical connection 14 or 15, as the case may be, for the conversion of data in electrical form in the wiring 29 to data in light form, the emitter 23 being positioned so as to emit light into end 22 of body 21. Similarly, the detector 25 is connected to electrical wiring 31 of the electrical connection 14 or 15 for the conversion of data received in light form to data in electrical form in the wiring 31, the detector 25 being positioned so as to receive light from end 22 of body 21.

The other part of each optical connector 17, 18 comprises a portion 33 of the casing of the terminal block 16 of the meter 1, which portion 33 defines an aperture 35 for the receipt of the cylindrical part of the member 19. The portion 33 includes a translucent element 37, a face 42 of which constitutes an inner end wall of the aperture 35. The optical properties of the element 37 are such that light entering face 42 or 41 thereof passes across the element 37 by means of internal reflection at its sides 38 to leave the element 37 at the opposite face 42 or 41 thereof. A light emitter 39 is connected to electrical wiring (not shown) of the meter 1 for the conversion of data in electrical form in the wiring to data in light form, the emitter 39 being positioned so as to emit light into face 41 of element 37.Similarly, a light detector 43 is connected to electrical wiring (also not shown) of the meter 1 for the conversion of data received in light form to data in electrical form in the wiring, the detector being positioned so as to receive light from face 41 of element 37.

The two parts of each optical connector 17, 18 are connected together by inserting the cylindrical part of member 19 into the aperture 35 of portion 33 so that the end 24 of body 21 of member 19 mates with the face 42 of element 37 of portion 33.

Referring to Figure 3, the part of each connector 17, 18 constituted by the portion 33 of the casing of the meter 1 includes a screw 44 which, once the two parts of the connector 17 or 18 have been connected, can be tightened so as to bear against member 19 and thus secure it in position in aperture 35.

Communication between the meter 1 and the consumer unit 5 or modem 7 occurs via the translucent body 21 of the member 19 and the translucent element 37 of the portion 33 of the connector 17 or 18. In such communication light emitted by emitters 23 and 39 traverses mated end 24 and face 42 to reach detectors 43 and 25 respectively.

Referring to Figure 4, the arrangement can be modified to include an energy management unit 45, the unit 45 being connected by electrical connections 47 to the consumer unit 5 and hence the meter 1, and by further electrical connections 49 to the electricity supply connections 3 on the consumer-side of the meter 1. The unit 45 receives from the meter 1 the tariffs of the meter 1 and the periods over which they are in force and controls the supply of electricity to electrical appliances of the consumer such that these appliances use electricity cost efficiently.

In the modified arrangement the consumer unit 5 can be dispensed with and the energy management unit 45 connected directly to the meter 1 by way of optical connector 18. The unit 45 is then connected to a television set of the consumer to enable the display on the screen thereof of the information formerly displayed by the consumer unit 5.

It is to be appreciated that the design of portion 33 of the casing of the meter 1 is such as to permit optical coupling but prevent electrical coupling via that portion 33 with the meter 1, Specifically, element 37 of portion 33 although being transmissive to light does not conduct electricity. The meter 1 is thus electrically isolated at portion 33 so as to be safe, as regards the electrical voltages present, and inhibit interference with the meter 1 at portion 33 for the purpose of the taking of unmetered electricity.

It is also to be appreciated that the part of each two-part optical connector 17, 18 in which there is defined an aperture 35 need not comprise a portion of the casing of the meter, but could comprise a body separate to the meter casing but still carried by the meter.

Further, it is to be appreciated that the part of each two-part optical connector carried by the meter need not be the part in which there is defined an aperture but could be the part comprising an elongate member, the part in which there is defined an aperture then being connected to the remainder of the communication link.

Further, it is to be appreciated that the electrical connections of the communication links of the above arrangement could be replaced by optical connections, for example, optical fibre connections.

Claims

1. An arrangement comprising: a commodity consumption meter; means associated with said meter for communication therewith; and a communication link between said meter and said means associated via which said communication occurs, said communication link including a two-part optical connector, one part of which comprises an elongate member, the other part of which comprises means defining an aperture for the receipt of said elongate member, said one part or said other part being carried by said meter thereby to electrically isolate the meter at the connection of the communication link to the meter.

2. An arrangement according to Claim 1 wherein said other part is carried by said meter, said means defining comprising a portion of the casing of said meter.

3. An arrangement according to Claim 2 wherein: said portion of the casing includes a translucent element, a face of said element constituting an inner end wall of said aperture; and said elongate member comprises an elongate translucent body surrounded by a protective sleeve.

4. An arrangement according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 or Claim 3 wherein said two-part optical connector is associated with emitter/detector means whereby communication along said link beyond the optical connector is effected electrically.

5. An arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims wherein: said means associated comprises a consumer unit for the interrogation of said meter by a consumer for information contained thereby; and said arrangement further comprises further means associated with said meter comprising a modem for the remote reading and instruction of the meter and a further communication link between the meter and said further means associated, said further communication link including a further said two-part optical connector.

6. An arrangment according to Claim 5 further comprising an additional means associated with said meter comprising an energy management unit connected to said meter via said consumer unit, said unit being for the control of the supply of the commodity to the consumer such that the commodity is used efficiently.

7. An arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said commodity consumption meter is an electricity consumption meter.

8. An arrangement incorporating a commodity consumption meter substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3 or Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.