JP2019178918A - Gas meter - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a gas meter which restricts an installation attitude making negative influence on a performance and reliability of the gas meter.SOLUTION: A straight pipe type gas meter includes a display part 18a, and a gas shut-off valve 16. When an installation attitude of the gas meter is taken in such a manner that a display surface of the display part 18a can be visually observed (does not face downward) by arranging a sealing face of a valve body 16a of the gas shut-off valve 16 in a direction opposite to the display surface, the valve body 16a does not face in an upper direction relative to the ground. Thus, dust and dirt in gas is difficult to remain on the sealing face of the valve body 16a, so that deterioration in sealability during gas shut-off can be prevented.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a straight pipe type gas meter in which a gas inlet and a gas outlet are provided on the same axis.

  Conventionally, a gas meter operated in the market has a gas inlet and an outlet provided on the upper surface of the meter casing, and is suspended from a gas pipe. In recent years, there is also a document that provides a straight pipe type gas meter in which a gas inlet and a gas outlet are provided on the same axis (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  FIG. 4 shows a conventional gas meter described in Patent Document 1. As shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the body main body 1 includes a gas inflow portion 2 and a gas outflow portion 3, and a straight gas flow path 4 through which gas flows from the gas inflow portion 2 to the gas outflow portion 3 inside the body main body 1. The display unit 5 is arranged on the outer surface of the body body 1.

  Further, the mounting posture of the gas meter is uniquely determined by the shape of the suspended type, but the gas channel 4 can be installed in the vertical direction or the horizontal direction in the straight tube type. Further, when the gas flow path 4 is installed in the horizontal direction, there are various installation forms such as the display unit 5 installed in the forward direction or the upward direction. One of the features of the straight pipe type gas meter is that the degree of freedom of installation can be expanded in this way. Another advantage is that space efficiency is improved by connecting the gas inlet and outlet straight, and downsizing can be realized.

JP 2017-133959 A

  As described above, in a gas meter having a straight tube type configuration, the mounting posture direction is not uniquely determined, so that it is necessary to have a configuration in which performance and reliability are not impaired by the mounting posture.

  For example, if the meter is installed so that the sealing surface of the valve body of the gas shut-off valve faces upward in the passing gas, dust or dust in the gas supply pipe is likely to adhere to the sealing surface, and the air tightness at the time of shut-off There is a risk of reducing the sex.

  As another example, when a meter is installed in the passing gas so that the metering sensor or metering circuit of the gas metering unit faces downward with respect to the gas channel axis, the moisture in the gas supply pipe There is a risk of entering or condensing (in the gas atmosphere), accumulating moisture in the flow path, and flooding the electric circuit of the measuring unit.

  As described above, it is a problem to realize a configuration that removes anxiety during installation.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a straight pipe type gas meter that can ensure reliability in consideration of the mounting orientation of the meter.

  In order to solve the above problems, a gas meter of the present invention includes a meter housing having a gas inlet and a gas outlet on the same axis, and an I-shaped gas flow through which gas flows from the gas inlet to the gas outlet. A gas metering unit for metering gas, a gas shutoff valve for shutting off and supplying gas, a display unit arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the meter housing, and gas metering, gas shutoff, supply and display The gas shut-off valve has a structure that seals the gas by pressing the valve body, and the sealing surface of the valve body faces the direction opposite to the display surface of the display unit.

  As a result, the gas sealing surface of the valve body is in the opposite direction to the display surface of the display unit. Therefore, when the gas sealing surface of the valve body faces upward, the display surface faces downward. Normally, if the display surface is mounted downward, the display portion cannot be seen. Therefore, considering the operation of the gas meter, the display surface will not be installed downward, and the sealing surface of the valve body will not be structurally upward. . Therefore, the possibility that dust or the like adheres to the sealing surface of the valve body at the time of installation is reduced, and airtightness at the time of blocking is ensured.

  The gas meter of the present invention is a meter housing having a gas inlet and a gas outlet on the same axis, an I-shaped gas passage through which gas flows from the gas inlet to the gas outlet, and measures the gas. A gas metering unit, a gas shut-off valve for shutting off and supplying gas, a display unit disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the meter housing, and a meter controller for controlling gas metering, gas shutoff, supply and display The gas metering unit is an electronic type equipped with a metering sensor and a metering circuit unit, and the gas metering sensor and the metering circuit unit are arranged on the display surface side of the display unit with respect to the axis of the gas flow path. It is.

  As a result, the electric circuit part of the gas metering part is arranged on the display surface side of the display part with respect to the gas flow path axis, so when the electric circuit part is positioned below the gas flow path axis in the gas flow path, The display surface will face downward. Similarly to the above, it is not installed with the display surface facing down, and it is structurally impossible for the electric circuit portion to be disposed on the lower side in the gas flow path. Therefore, the possibility that the electric circuit part of the gas measuring part is immersed in the water accumulated in the flow path during installation is reduced, and the water resistance is improved.

  By installing the gas meter of the present invention so that the display surface of the display unit can be seen, the installation posture that adversely affects the performance and reliability of the gas meter can be regulated.

Sectional drawing which shows the structure of the gas meter in Embodiment 1 of this invention (1) to (4) Installation diagram showing the installation posture of the gas meter in Embodiment 1 of the present invention Sectional drawing which shows the structure of the gas meter in Embodiment 2 of this invention. External view showing the configuration of a conventional gas meter

  A gas meter according to a first aspect of the present invention is a meter housing having a gas inlet and a gas outlet on the same axis, an I-shaped gas passage through which gas flows from the gas inlet to the gas outlet, and measures the gas. A gas metering unit, a gas shutoff valve for shutting off and supplying gas, a display unit arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the meter housing, and a meter controller for controlling gas metering, gas shutoff, supply and display The gas shut-off valve is a structure that seals the gas by pressing the valve body. The sealing surface of the valve body faces the direction opposite to the display surface of the display unit, so that the gas sealing surface of the valve body is When facing upward, the display surface will face downward, and if the display surface is mounted downward, it will not be visible, so the display surface of the gas meter will not normally be installed downward, and the sealing surface of the valve body will be upward The dust on the sealing surface of the valve body. Possibility to adhere is reduced, it is possible to prevent a decrease in airtightness during blocking.

A gas meter according to a second aspect of the present invention is a meter housing having a gas inlet and a gas outlet on the same axis, an I-shaped gas passage through which gas flows from the gas inlet to the gas outlet, and measures the gas. A gas metering unit, a gas shutoff valve for shutting off and supplying gas, a display unit arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the meter housing, and a meter controller for controlling gas metering, gas shutoff, supply and display The gas metering unit is an electronic type equipped with a gas metering sensor and a metering circuit unit, and the metering sensor and the metering circuit unit are arranged on the display surface side of the display unit with respect to the axis of the gas flow path. Therefore, when the electric circuit part is on the lower side in the gas flow path, the display surface will face downward, and if the display surface is mounted downward, it will not be visible. Electrical circuit without installation Is no longer disposed in the gas flow path, the possibility that the electric circuit part of the gas measurement part enters the flow path and is immersed in the accumulated water is reduced, and the deterioration of the water resistance can be prevented. .

  In the third invention, in particular, the measuring circuit unit of the second invention is configured integrally with the meter controller, thereby eliminating the board member constituting the measuring circuit unit, which has a simple configuration, and the straight tube type meter. It can contribute to the realization of miniaturization, which is one of the features.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a gas meter according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  In FIG. 1, the meter housing body 13a has a gas inlet 11 and a gas outlet 12 on the same axis. The meter housing main body 13a maintains gas tightness between the gas inlet 11 and the gas outlet 12, and forms the meter housing 13 together with the meter housing outer shell 13b partially covering the meter housing main body 13a. ing.

  A meter controller 18 composed of a printed wiring board is provided in the meter casing outer shell 13b. The meter controller 18 includes a display unit 18a (for example, a liquid crystal panel) that displays a meter reading value and an operating state of the meter, and the display unit 18a is visible through a display window frame (not shown) of the meter housing outer shell 13b. Is arranged.

  In the meter housing main body 13a, a gas blocking part 17, a gas flow path 14a, a gas metering part 15 forming a part of the flow path, and a gas flow path 14b are sequentially arranged from the gas inlet 11 toward the gas outlet 12. It is arranged in an I shape on the shaft (gas flow path shaft 100).

  The gas shut-off portion 17 is provided with a gas shut-off valve 16 so as to keep airtight with the meter housing body 13a. The gas cutoff valve 16 has a structure in which the valve body 16a is pressed against a flange 17a of the gas cutoff section 17 to seal the gas, and a compressible rubber material is generally used for the valve body. The gas shutoff valve 16 is attached to the meter housing body 13a so that the sealing surface of the valve body 16a faces away from the display surface of the display unit 18a.

  The gas metering unit 15 includes a metering channel unit 15a that becomes a part of the channel and through which gas flows, and a metering electrical unit 15b that performs electronic metering. The weighing electrical unit 15b includes a weighing circuit unit 15b1 and a weighing sensor 15b2, and the weighing sensor 15b2 is connected to the weighing circuit unit 15b1 by electric wiring (not shown).

The weighing sensor 15b2 is a pair of ultrasonic sensors, and transmits and receives ultrasonic waves propagating along a path indicated by a dotted line in the drawing. That is, an ultrasonic wave is transmitted from the upstream weighing sensor 15b2 and the ultrasonic wave reflected on the inner wall of the weighing flow channel is received by the downstream weighing sensor 15b2 (referred to as direction A). In addition, transmission / reception in the opposite direction is performed (B direction). Weighing sensor 1
Since 5b2 radiates an ultrasonic wave toward the metering channel portion 15a, an opening 15c is provided between the metering channel unit 15a and the metering electrical unit 15b.

  The measuring circuit unit 15b1 drives an ultrasonic sensor, and ultrasonic waves in the A direction (from the upstream with respect to the gas flow) and the B direction (from the downstream with respect to the gas flow) in the gas flow velocity. This is an electronic circuit unit for calculating the gas flow velocity from the difference in the propagation speed of the gas and is formed on the printed wiring board.

  As described above, the gas metering unit 15 is a unit in which the metering channel unit 15a, the metering sensor 15b2, and the metering circuit unit 15b1 are integrated, and is a collection of technical means for ultrasonic measurement. Further, the gas metering unit 15 is arranged such that the metering electrical unit 15 b is on the display surface side of the display unit 18 a with respect to the gas flow path shaft 100.

  The meter controller 18 is connected to the measuring circuit unit 15b1 and the gas shut-off valve 16 by electrical wiring (not shown), calculates the gas flow rate from the gas flow rate signal, and displays the integrated value of the gas flow rate on the display unit 18a. Further, when an abnormal gas flow is detected from the gas flow rate, the gas meter is controlled by, for example, shutting off the gas by the gas shutoff valve 16.

  FIG. 2 is an installation diagram showing the installation posture of the gas meter according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In addition, the symbol x in ○ in the figure indicates that the viewing direction and the sealing direction are from the front to the back of the figure.

  The straight pipe type gas meter shown in FIG. 1 has a greater degree of freedom in the installation direction than its shape.

  FIG. 2 (1) shows the meter posture when installed in a direction perpendicular to the ground (hereinafter referred to as vertical installation). Further, although not shown, as another meter posture in the vertical installation, when the gas supply side rises from below, the posture shown in FIG. 2 (1) may be upside down.

  2 (2) to 2 (4) show meter postures when installed in a direction parallel to the ground (hereinafter referred to as horizontal installation). In the horizontal installation, depending on the positional relationship between the gas inlet 11 and the gas outlet 12, it can be mounted in a 360 ° free direction around the gas flow path shaft 100. 2 (2) shows a posture where the display surface of the display unit 18a faces sideways, FIG. 2 (3) shows a posture where the display surface faces downward, and FIG. 2 (4) shows a posture where the display surface faces upward. Is. Although not shown in the drawings, as another meter posture in the horizontal installation, the gas supply side in the gas flow path shaft 100 is reversed, and the postures shown in FIGS. There is a case.

  2 (1) to (4), the direction of the sealing surface of the valve body 16a, that is, the sealing direction (arrow B), and the metering electrical unit 15b with respect to the display surface of the display unit 18a, that is, the visual field direction (arrow A). The positional relationship of is shown.

  The operation of the gas meter configured as described above will be described below.

  There is a possibility that foreign matters such as dust and dust are mixed in the gas supplied through the gas supply pipe and pass through the flow path of the gas meter.

  When the sealing surface of the valve body 16a faces upward, it is easy to receive dust and dust, and when dust or dust adheres and remains, there is a possibility that a gap is formed in the sealing portion and the airtightness at the time of shutting off the gas is lowered.

When installed as shown in FIGS. 2 (1) and (2), the sealing direction (arrow B) faces the ground and the horizontal direction,
The sealing surface of the valve body 16a faces in the lateral direction. 2 (3), the sealing direction (arrow B) faces the ground, and the sealing surface of the valve element 16a faces downward. Moreover, when installed as shown in FIG. 2 (4), the sealing direction (arrow B) faces in the opposite direction to the ground, and the sealing surface of the valve body 16a faces upward.

  The normal gas meter is about 1m from the ground if it is a city gas meter that is supplied over a wide area, and about 1m to 1.5m that is almost the height of the gas cylinder if it is an LP gas meter that is supplied individually by a gas cylinder. Installed. Therefore, the display surface of the display unit 18a becomes visible when installed as shown in FIGS. 2 (1) to (3) and is allowed as an installation posture, but when installed as shown in FIG. 2 (4). In view of the burden on the meter-reading work, it is difficult to visually check that the installation posture is not appropriate, which is a common sense in installing and operating a gas meter.

  In the present embodiment, the sealing surface of the valve body 16a is placed on the ground by arranging the sealing surface of the valve body 16a so as to face the direction opposite to the display surface of the display portion 18a with respect to the axis of the gas flow path. On the other hand, it is possible to avoid an installation posture that faces upward, and it is possible to prevent a decrease in airtightness when the gas is shut off.

  In addition, moisture or moisture is mixed in the gas supplied through the gas supply pipe, passes through the gas meter flow path, and the moisture or moisture is kept in the meter housing main body 13a. Condensed water may remain.

  When the metering electrical part 15b in the meter housing body 13a is positioned on the lower side (ground side) of the gas flow path along the gas flow path axis 100, moisture enters and accumulates in the metering electrical part, and the metering circuit part 15b1 There is a possibility that the sensor 15b2 is submerged, resulting in malfunction.

  When installed as shown in FIG. 2 (1), the metering electrical unit 15b is positioned along the gas flow path axis 100 in the direction perpendicular to the ground. When installed as shown in FIG. 2 (2), the metering electrical unit 15b is located on the side of the gas flow path along the gas flow path axis 100 in the horizontal direction on the ground. When installed as shown in FIG. 2 (3), the metering electrical part 15b is positioned above the gas flow path along the gas flow path axis in the horizontal direction on the ground. Further, when installed as shown in FIG. 2 (4), it is positioned below the gas flow path along the gas flow path axis in the horizontal direction on the ground.

  Again, when it is installed as shown in FIG. 2 (4), it is a common sense in installing and operating a gas meter that the installation posture is not appropriate in view of visual confirmation of the display.

  In the present embodiment, the measuring circuit unit 15b1 and the measuring sensor 15b2 are arranged on the display surface side of the display unit 18a with respect to the gas flow path shaft 100, so that the measuring circuit unit 15b1 and the measuring sensor 15b2 It is possible to avoid an installation posture that is positioned downward with respect to the road, and it is possible to reduce the possibility of malfunction due to moisture or moisture in the gas.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the gas meter according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

  The difference from the gas meter shown in FIG. 1 in Embodiment 1 is that the weighing circuit unit 15b1 shown in FIG. 1 is formed in the meter controller 19, and the weighing sensor 15b2 has the function of the weighing circuit. It is connected to a meter controller 19 having electrical wiring (not shown). The rest of the configuration is the same as that shown in FIG.

  The operation of the gas meter configured as described above will be described below.

  By forming the meter controller and the measuring circuit unit on one printed circuit board, the measuring circuit unit is removed from the inside of the meter housing main body 13a where moisture may enter. Further, the constituent members of the gas meter are reduced.

  In the present embodiment, by forming the measuring circuit unit on the printed circuit board of the meter controller 19, the measuring circuit unit is kept away from the moisture and moisture environment that the gas carries and the risk of malfunctioning is reduced. can do.

  Further, since the number of constituent members is reduced, it is possible to contribute to downsizing of the meter housing.

  In addition, since the functions are concentrated on one printed circuit board, material efficiency and production efficiency can be improved, and manufacturing costs can be reduced.

  As described above, the gas meter according to the present invention can regulate the installation posture that adversely affects the performance and reliability of the meter by setting the installation posture so that the display surface of the display unit can be visually observed. It can also be applied to applications such as gas flow meters installed in

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Gas inlet 12 Gas outlet 13 Meter housing 13a Meter housing main body 13b Meter housing outer shell 14a, 14b Gas flow path 15 Gas measurement part 15a Measurement flow path part (gas flow path)
15b Metering electrical unit 15b1 Metering circuit unit 15b2 Metering sensor 16 Gas shut-off valve 16a Valve body 17 Gas shut-off unit 17a Flange 18 Meter controller 18a Display unit 19 Meter controller 100 Gas channel shaft

Claims (3)

A meter housing having a gas inlet and a gas outlet on the same axis;
An I-shaped gas flow path through which gas flows from the gas inlet to the gas outlet;
A gas metering unit for metering gas;
A gas shutoff valve for shutting off and supplying the gas;
A display unit disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the meter housing;
A meter controller to control gas metering, gas shut-off, supply and display;
With
The gas shut-off valve has a structure in which gas is sealed by pressing a valve body, and a sealing surface of the valve body faces a direction opposite to a display surface of the display unit. A meter housing having a gas inlet and a gas outlet on the same axis;
An I-shaped gas flow path through which gas flows from the gas inlet to the gas outlet;
A gas metering unit for metering gas;
A gas shutoff valve for shutting off and supplying the gas;
A display unit disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the meter housing;
A meter controller to control gas metering, gas shut-off, supply and display;
With
The gas metering unit is an electronic type equipped with a metering sensor and a metering circuit unit, and the metering sensor and the metering circuit unit are arranged on the display surface side of the display unit with respect to the axis of the gas flow path. A gas meter characterized by that. The gas meter according to claim 2, wherein the measuring circuit unit is configured integrally with the meter controller.