JP2005241541A - Heat insulation cover for water meter, and using method therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To eliminate generation of a measuring error caused by mischief of approaching a strong magnet to an electronic type water meter from its outside, to eliminate the influence of the magnet to meet the requirements of the ISO standards, and to eliminate adverse effects due to the external magnet in response to a high increase rate of the electronic type water meter in a very cold and heavy snow fall area of Hokkaido. <P>SOLUTION: Magnetic shielding members 16A, 16B are embedded in foamed resin heat-insulating members 16c, 16d, 18c, 18d of a front cover 16, a rear cover 17 and an upper cover 18 for covering the electronic type water meter 10. A magnetic force line by the mischief is transmitted through the insides of he shielding members of high magnetic permeability for covering the electronic type water meter 10 which will not intruded into the electronic type water meter 10 in an inside of the covers. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an improvement of a heat insulation cover for a water meter for preventing freezing, and relates to a heat insulation cover having a magnetic shielding function and a method for using the same.

  An electronic water meter 10 having a schematic configuration shown in FIG. 1 is known (see Non-Patent Document 1). This electronic water meter detects the rotation of a columnar or disk-shaped permanent magnet 2 attached to the upper end of an impeller 1 that is supported by the upper end of a not-illustrated pipette by a magnetic sensor 3. The signal is converted into an electric signal (flow rate signal), calculated by the microcomputer 4, and the integrated value is displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 5. The microcomputer 4 drives a pulse output circuit 6 that sends a unit flow rate pulse signal to a receiver or the like outside the water meter. In addition, a communication I / O circuit 7 that communicates with the meter-reading center by an 8-bit telegram via a communication line outside the water meter is also connected. In addition to these pulse output and telegram output, it has various memory functions, so it can flexibly support various systems such as remote meter reading, centralized meter reading, automatic meter reading.

  In apartment buildings, centralized meter reading is performed because of the ease of meter reading, and electronic water meters that can handle this are preferred. Generally, a water meter is placed in a meter box in the soil, but since it is placed on the ground in an apartment house, the water meter is likely to freeze, particularly in cold regions such as the Hokkaido region. Therefore, in a housing complex in a cold region, in order to prevent damage due to freezing of the water meter, the water meter is exclusively covered with a heat insulating cover for the water meter using a heat insulating material. Therefore, there is a circumstance that in an apartment house in a cold region such as the Hokkaido region, an electronic water meter is used with a heat insulating cover.

  By the way, in the electronic water meter, the permanent magnet attached to the upper end of the impeller is magnetized in a diameter direction (horizontal direction) perpendicular to the rotation axis of the vertical impeller, and the rotating magnetic field is placed above the permanent magnet. It is detected by the arranged magnetic sensor. The magnetic sensor has a flat square chip shape in which a magnetoresistive element is vapor-deposited on an insulating substrate, and this magnetic sensor is arranged in parallel to the surface of the rotating magnetic field of the permanent magnet. In other words, the chip plate is arranged in a horizontal plane.

  And in order to detect the rotation direction of an impeller, the said chip | tip is formed with two magnetoresistive elements which differed in the angle of 90 degrees within the surface of the rotating magnetic field (in the horizontal plane). A sinusoidal analog output signal from these elements is shaped into a rectangular wave signal by the flow rate pulse input circuit 8 of FIG. 1 to create two rectangular waves having a phase difference of 90 degrees, and both rectangular wave signals are processed. Then, the direction of water flow is detected, and the integrated value of the amount of water used is calculated by the microcomputer 4. From the rectangular wave signal, an electric signal of 2 pulses is generated per impeller rotation and integrated. That is, the resolution is 1/2 rotation of the impeller.

Moreover, the dry-type water meter 10A of the structure of FIG. In this dry water meter, the rotation of a disk-shaped permanent magnet 2 attached to the upper end of an impeller 1 that is supported at the upper end of a not-illustrated pipette is arranged close to the upper side of the permanent magnet 2. Is transmitted to the disk-shaped permanent magnet 3A, and further transmitted to the integrated display mechanism 5A via the gear train 4A for speed reduction, and the amount of water used is mechanically displayed by the integrated display mechanism 5A. The permanent magnets 2 and 3A together constitute a so-called magnet coupling, and the rotation of the impeller 1 is transmitted to the gear train 4A by magnetic force. The integrated display mechanism 5A is constituted by a known mechanical counter.
"Multi-functional electronic water meter, E series" catalog, Aichi Watch Electric Co., Ltd., September 2003

  Since the electronic water meter 10 and the dry gas meter 10A have the permanent magnet 2 attached to the impeller 1 having a small rotational force, a strong permanent magnet is brought close to the water meter so that a magnetic force acts on the permanent magnet of the impeller. Mischievous acts such as affecting the integrated value can be seen.

  When a strong magnet is brought close to these water meters, the magnetic force of the magnet acts on the permanent magnet 2 of the impeller 1 and tries to stop the rotation of the impeller. There was a problem that it was stopped and the meter had a bad effect that it did not move. Further, in the dry water meter 10A, the magnetic force due to the mischief from outside acting on the driven permanent magnet 3A further stops the rotation of the permanent magnet 3A, and consequently stops the impeller 1 at a minute flow rate. There was also a problem that an adverse effect was seen.

  Further, when a strong permanent magnet is brought close to the electronic water meter, the magnetic field from the outside adversely affects the original rotating magnetic field of the magnetic sensor portion. An external magnetic field is biased to the original rotating magnetic field. Therefore, the rotating magnetic field viewed from the axial direction (above) of the impeller is deformed from a normal circular shape to become an elliptical shape, the elliptical shape is decentered, or the rotating magnetic field changes in size and becomes distorted. Not only the influence of the magnetic force applied to the car but also the change of the rotating magnetic field to the magnetic sensor occurs, affecting the meter performance and changing the waveform and phase of the rectangular wave generated by the flow rate pulse input circuit 8. As a result, the normal rotating magnetic field detection function of the magnetic sensor 3 is impaired, such as the output of two pulses not being obtained in one rotation, and the meter differential characteristics change, resulting in a large error in the integrated flow rate value. There is a problem of doing so, and countermeasures are required. The ISO standard also requires that meter performance is not affected by an external magnetic field.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a heat insulating cover for a water meter in which an external magnetic field does not adversely affect an electronic water meter or a dry water meter, and a method for using the same. The purpose is to eliminate the effects of mischief on meters and dry water meters.

  In the present invention, a magnetic shielding member made of a high magnetic permeability material is integrally formed with the heat insulating member by embedding or attaching a high magnetic permeability material to the heat insulating member constituting the heat insulation cover for the water meter. The main feature is to cover the water meter.

  And in order to achieve the said objective, invention of Claim 1 comprised the magnetic shielding member and heat insulation member which consist of high magnetic permeability materials integrally, and comprised the heat retention cover which covers a water meter. It is a heat insulation cover for water meters.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the heat retention cover for a water meter according to the first aspect, the magnetic shielding member is embedded in the heat insulating member.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the heat retention cover for a water meter according to the first aspect, a magnetic shielding member is attached to the inside of the heat insulating member.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the heat retention cover for a water meter according to the first aspect, the magnetic shielding member has a plate shape and is attached to the outer surface of the heat insulating member.

  The invention of claim 5 is the heat insulation cover for a water meter according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a plurality of heat insulating members are provided, and the magnetic shielding members provided integrally with each heat insulating member are provided with a plurality of heat insulating members. When assembling, it is characterized by being overlapped with each other.

  The invention of claim 6 is characterized in that, in the heat insulation cover for water meter according to any one of claims 1 to 5, the heat insulating member is provided with double magnetic shielding members at intervals. .

  The invention of claim 7 is the heat insulation cover for a water meter according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the heat insulation cover covers a front cover for covering a front surface and a lower surface of the water meter, and a rear surface and a lower surface of the water meter. And a top cover for covering the upper surface of the water meter. The top cover is detachably fitted to the front cover and the back cover.

  The invention of claim 8 is a method of using a heat-insulating cover for water meters, characterized in that the electronic water meter is covered with the heat-insulating cover for water meters according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

  The invention of claim 9 is a method of using a water meter heat insulation cover characterized in that the water meter heat insulation cover of claim 7 covers the dry water meter.

  Since the heat insulation cover for a water meter of the present invention is configured as described above, the magnetic flux from the outside of the meter passes through a magnetic shielding member made of a high permeability material, and the blade of an electronic water meter or a dry water meter. It will not adversely affect permanent magnets such as cars. Further, there is no adverse effect on the action of the magnetoresistive element of the magnetic sensor. Therefore, even if an electronic water meter or a dry water meter is not provided with a special mechanism, it is possible to prevent adverse magnetic effects from the outside simply by covering it with a heat insulating cover. It can also meet ISO standards. Moreover, the anti-freezing effect | action by the heat insulating cover original heat insulation member is also fulfilled.

  In the invention of claim 2, since the magnetic shielding member is disposed in the heat insulating material, there is no possibility that the shielding member is damaged by an external force.

  In the invention of claim 4, there is an advantage that it becomes very easy to attach the shielding member to the heat insulating material.

  In the invention of claim 5, since the magnetic resistance between the shielding members attached to the plurality of heat insulating members is reduced, the effect of magnetic shielding (shielding) is increased.

  In the invention of claim 6, since the magnetic shielding members arranged at intervals provide a double shielding effect, a shielding effect can be obtained effectively even with a thin shielding member, and the use of a high magnetic permeability material The amount can be reduced.

  In the invention of claim 7, since the water meter can be easily read by simply removing the upper cover while the water meter is covered with the heat insulating cover, the pulse output or the automatic meter reading can be performed with the electronic water meter or the dry water meter. This is useful when there is no external output such as telegrams.

  In the invention of claim 8, the reliability in the usage environment of the electronic water meter is enhanced in combination with the high penetration rate of the electronic water meter with a heat insulating cover, especially for housing in cold districts such as Hokkaido. .

  In the invention of claim 9, when using a dry water meter in a cold region, it is possible to prevent a mischief from the outside by a permanent magnet, and the reliability in the use environment is enhanced.

  Next, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described based on the embodiments shown in the drawings.

  FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the overall configuration of the first embodiment, and also shows an electric water meter and a water pipe at the same time. The case of the electronic water meter 10 is shown partially broken so that the impeller 1 and the magnetic sensor 3 with the permanent magnet 2 attached to the upper end can be seen. The integrated value, instantaneous flow rate, and the like are also displayed on the display unit 12 of the receiver 11 that is electrically connected to the electronic water meter 10 by the wiring cord 9. Reference numerals 13 and 14 denote water pipes connected to the electronic water meter 10. In this embodiment, the heat insulating cover 15 made of foamed resin as a heat insulating material is divided into three parts, a front cover 16, a rear cover 17, and an upper cover 18. The magnetic shielding members 16A and 17A embedded in the front cover 16 and the rear cover 17 respectively appear slightly in FIG. 2, but the shielding member embedded in the upper cover is not visible in this drawing.

  In the installed state, the water pipes 13 and 14 are connected to the electronic water meter 10. Then, the front cover 16 and the rear cover 17 are moved from the illustrated positions in the directions indicated by the arrows A and B, respectively, so that the rear end surface of the front cover 16 and the front end surface of the rear cover 17 are adhered to each other. The outer periphery of the left end cylindrical portions 16a and 17a is wound with vinyl tape for electrical insulation. Similarly, the outer circumferences of the right end cylindrical portions 16b and 17b of the covers 16 and 17 are wound with an electrically insulating vinyl tape. In this way, both the covers 16 and 17 are firmly fixed with the vinyl tape in a state where the front and back and the lower surface of the electronic water meter 10 are covered with the covers 16 and 17. Further, the upper cover 18 is lowered from the position shown in the figure, and is fitted onto the front cover 16 and the rear cover 17 fixed to each other to cover them.

  FIG. 4 shows a longitudinal section in the assembled state. In FIG. 4, the receiver 11 and the wiring cord 9 for electrical connection shown in FIG. 3 are omitted and not shown. In FIG. 4, 16A and 18A are magnetic shielding members embedded in the front cover 16 and the upper cover 18, respectively, and are made of a high permeability material such as thin plate-shaped permalloy or electromagnetic soft iron. The magnetic shielding member 16A is sandwiched and embedded between the outer heat insulating member 16c and the inner heat insulating member 16d constituting the front cover 16. Further, the magnetic shielding member 18A is sandwiched between the outer heat insulating member 18c and the inner heat insulating member 18d constituting the upper cover 18, and the connecting pin 19 that connects the members 18c and 18d to each other is tightly fitted in the holes of both the members 18c and 18d. By being inserted, the heat insulating members 18c and 18d constituting the upper cover 18 and the magnetic shielding member 18A are connected to each other so as not to be detached.

  In addition, the connection of these three members can be performed only with an adhesive without using a connection pin. The outer heat insulating member 16c (17c) of the front cover 16 (rear cover 17) and the inner heat insulating member 16d (17d) are fitted so that the upper cover 18 is fitted properly when the upper cover 18 is fitted to the front cover 16 and the rear cover 17. Have different vertical lengths. Further, the upper cover 18 is also different in the vertical height of the outer heat insulating member 18c and the inner heat insulating member 18d.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the position 20 where the upper end surface of the outer heat insulating member 16c (17c) of the front cover 16 (rear cover 17) and the lower end surface of the outer heat insulating member 18c of the upper cover 18 are attached to each other is It is located slightly above the position 21 where the inner heat insulating members 16d (17d) and 18d of the cover stick together. Therefore, the position where the upper end of the magnetic shielding member 16A (17A) embedded in the front cover 16 (rear cover 17) sticks to the lower end of the magnetic shielding member 18A embedded in the upper cover 18 is denoted by reference numeral 21 in FIG. Position.

  In this way, the magnetic shielding members 16A, 17A and 18A embedded in the front cover 16, the rear cover 17 and the upper cover 18 made of the shielding member cover the electronic water meter with each cover, so that the electronic Cover the circumference of the water meter and magnetically shield the entire meter.

  Of course, only the part where the water pipes 13 and 14 pass through the heat insulating cover 15 cannot be magnetically shielded because there is no magnetic shielding member. However, the mischievous magnet does not adversely affect the water pipe part. There is no need to worry about magnetic shielding on the water pipe.

  In the second embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the magnetic shielding members 16A and 17A embedded in the front cover 16 and the rear cover 17 and the magnetic shielding member 18A embedded in the upper cover 18 are assembled with the three covers 16, 17, and 18. 3 and 4 is different from the first embodiment shown in FIGS. Since the other structure is the same as that of the first embodiment, only a part of the structure is shown in FIG. The upper end portion of the magnetic shielding member 16A and the lower end portion of 18A are overlapped, and the overlapped portion is in close contact with the outer heat insulating member 16c of the front cover 16 and the inner heat insulating member 18d of the upper cover 18. It is designed to be pressed. By doing so, the magnetic resistance at the overlapping portion of the magnetic shielding members 16A (17A) and 18A is reduced, and the magnetic shielding effect is improved. In this respect, the second embodiment is superior to the first embodiment in which both the members 16A (17A) and 18A are brought into contact with each other at the end faces.

  6A and 6B show a third embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 6A is a longitudinal sectional view, and FIG. 6B is an exploded perspective view. Note that water meters are not shown in both (a) and (b). And (a) figure shows the figure of the state which opened the clearance gap between the two cover parts which comprise the heat insulation cover 15, and has illustrated the shape of both cover parts clearly.

  In the third embodiment, the heat insulating cover 15 is composed of two cover parts made of a foamed resin and a high magnetic permeability material. One is the upper cover 22 and the other is the lower cover 23. These two covers 22 and 23 are used so as to cover the electronic water meter from above and below. The upper cover 22 is embedded with a plate-like thin magnetic shielding member 22A having a thickness t, and the lower cover 23 is embedded with a magnetic shielding member 23A. Specifically, the upper cover 22 is configured by sandwiching a magnetic shielding member 22A between the outer heat insulating member 22c and the inner heat insulating member 22d. Similarly, the lower cover 23 is configured by sandwiching a magnetic shielding member having a thickness t between the outer shielding member 23c and the inner heat insulating member 23d. This heat insulating cover is put on the electronic water meter from above and below, and vinyl tapes 25 and 26 for electrical insulation are wound and fixed as indicated by reference numerals 25 and 26 in FIG. 22e and 23e are concave portions provided in the upper cover 22 and the lower cover 23, respectively, and an electronic water meter enters the concave portions. When the electronic water meter is covered with a heat insulating cover, the upper cover 22 and the lower cover 23 are in close contact with each other, and the gap G is not present.

  In Example 4 of FIG. 7, a magnetic shielding member 22A having a thickness t is formed on the inner surface of the upper cover 22 made of a heat insulating member made of foamed resin and the inner side of the lower cover 23, that is, the recess for receiving the electronic water meter. 23A is pasted and configured.

  In Example 5 of FIG. 8, magnetic shielding members 22A ′ and 23A ′ are attached to the surfaces of the upper covers 22 and 23, respectively. In this embodiment, since the surface to which the magnetic shielding member is attached is a flat portion, the attaching operation is easy.

  As indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 8 and a reference numeral 22A, a magnetic shielding member 22A is also affixed to the inside of the cover, and the magnetic shielding member 22A ′ affixed to the outer surface provides a double magnetic shielding effect. You can also play. In this way, when the magnetic shield members are provided in a double manner, naturally, compared with the fourth embodiment of FIG. 7 and the fifth embodiment of FIG. Even if the thickness of 22A 'is 1/2 t or less, the same level of shielding effect can be obtained. Note that a magnetic shielding member may be attached to the inside of the lower cover 23 so that the lower cover is also magnetically shielded twice.

  In addition to the configuration described in the third embodiment in FIG. 6, another magnetic shielding member 22A ″ is embedded and doubled with the magnetic shielding member 22A described above, as indicated by reference numeral 22A ″ in FIG. Magnetic shielding can also be applied. In this case as well, even if the thickness of the magnetic shielding members 22A and 22A ″ is smaller than t / 2, the shielding effect is the same as when the thickness is one.

  In FIG. 6, double magnetic shielding can be performed by the embedded magnetic shielding member 22 </ b> A and the magnetic shielding member 22 </ b> A ′ attached to the outer surface. In addition, in the configurations of Examples 6 and 7 including this example, it is necessary to always provide a gap between the double magnetic shielding members. In particular, in Example 7, the magnetic shielding members 22A and 22A ″ are provided at a distance from each other. If they are brought into close contact with each other, a double shielding effect cannot be obtained.

  As the magnetic shielding members 22A and 23A described in the third embodiment of FIG. 6, instead of using a plate-like high magnetic permeability material, powder of the high magnetic permeability material may be embedded in the heat insulating members 22 and 23.

  In the first to eighth embodiments, a net-like magnetic shielding member may be used instead of the plate-like magnetic shielding member.

  FIG. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view of an eleventh embodiment of the present invention, in which the dry water meter 10A described in FIG. 2 is covered with a heat insulating cover 15 having the same configuration as in the first embodiment described in FIG. Indicates. The heat insulation cover 15 includes three parts: a front cover 16 for covering the front and lower surfaces of the water meter, a rear cover 17 for covering the rear and lower surfaces of the water meter, and an upper cover 18 for covering the upper surface of the water meter. It is divided and configured. As in the case of the first embodiment of FIG. 4, the front cover 16 and the rear cover 17 first cover the front, rear and lower portions of the dry water meter 10A, and both covers 16 and 17 are electrically insulated with vinyl tape. 27 and 28 are wound and fixed, and the upper cover 18 is fitted to the upper portions of the covers 16 and 17, and the water meter 10A is covered with the three portions 16, 17, and 18.

When metering the water meter 10A, the upper cover 18 is removed from the front cover 16 and the rear cover 17, and the lid 29 of the water meter 10A is rotated counterclockwise around the pin 30 to open the lid 29 and open the tap water. The number (display) of the display mechanism is read from above the meter 10A. After the meter reading, the lid 29 is closed, and the upper cover 18 is fitted over the front cover 16 and the rear cover 17 to cover the meter. In FIG. 9, the same reference numerals are given to the same parts as those in FIG.
[Other Examples]

  In Example 11 of FIG. 9, the magnetic shielding member is embedded in the heat insulating members constituting the front cover 16, the rear cover 17, and the upper cover 18. However, as in the other examples, the outer surface or the inner surface of the heat insulating member is embedded. It may be pasted. Further, as in the other embodiments described above, the magnetic shielding member can be provided twice.

The schematic diagram explaining the structure of an electronic water meter. The schematic diagram explaining the structure of a dry-type water meter. The disassembled perspective view of Example 1 of this invention. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of Embodiment 1 of the present invention. The expanded sectional view which shows the principal part of Example 2 of this invention. In Example 3 of this invention, (a) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view, (b) is a disassembled perspective view. The longitudinal cross-sectional view of Example 4 of this invention. The longitudinal cross-sectional view of Example 5 of this invention. The longitudinal cross-sectional view of Example 11 of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Electronic water meter 10A Dry water meter 15 Thermal insulation cover 16 Front cover 16c Outer heat insulation member of front cover 16d Inner heat insulation member of front cover 17 Rear cover 17c Outer heat insulation member 17d Inner heat insulation member 18 Upper cover 18c Outer heat insulation member 18d Inner heat insulation Member 16A, 17A, 18A, 22A, 23A, 22A ', 22A "Magnetic shielding member 22 Upper cover 23 Lower cover 23c Outer heat insulating member 23e Inner heat insulating member

Claims (9)

  A heat insulating cover for a water meter, wherein a heat insulating cover for covering a water meter is formed by integrally forming a magnetic shielding member made of a high magnetic permeability material and a heat insulating member.   The heat insulation cover for a water meter according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic shielding member is embedded in the heat insulating member.   The heat insulation cover for water meters according to claim 1, wherein a magnetic shielding member is attached to the inside of the heat insulating member.   The heat insulating cover for a water meter according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic shielding member has a plate shape and is attached to the outer surface of the heat insulating member.   A plurality of heat insulating members are provided, and magnetic shielding members provided integrally with each heat insulating member are overlapped with each other when assembling the plurality of heat insulating members. Thermal insulation cover for water meters as described.   The heat insulating cover for a water meter according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a magnetic shielding member is disposed on the heat insulating member in a double manner at intervals.   The heat insulation cover is divided into a front cover for covering the front and lower surfaces of the water meter, a rear cover for covering the rear and lower surfaces of the water meter, and an upper cover for covering the upper surface of the water meter. Is fitted to the front cover and the rear cover in a detachable manner. The water meter heat insulation cover according to any one of claims 1 to 6.   An electronic water meter is covered with the water meter heat insulating cover according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the water meter heat insulating cover is used.   A method for using a water meter heat insulation cover, wherein the water meter heat insulation cover according to claim 7 covers the dry water meter.

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