JP2022118957A - Measuring device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a measuring device that can achieve high waterproofness of a housing part accommodating electronic apparatuses therein.SOLUTION: A housing part of a measuring device has a case 20 and a lid member 19. A seal packing 22 is inserted between the case 20 and the lid member 19. The lid member 19 is assembled to the case 20 to close an opening of the case 20. A circuit board 21 and a display 12 are accommodated in an internal space formed by the case 20 and the lid member 19. A side wall end face of the case 20 has a groove part 20a that is recessed downward in a Z direction and formed to surround the opening. The lid member 19 has a rib part 19a that is inserted into the groove part 20a of the case 20 with a gap with respect to a wall surface of the groove part 20a and is formed to surround the opening of the case 20. The seal packing 22 is a tube made of silicone rubber, and receives pressing force caused by the insertion of the rib part 19a in the groove part 20a and compressively deformed in a cross-sectional direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a measuring device, and more particularly to a sealing structure for a housing in which a controller and the like are accommodated.

A steam trap used for discharging only condensate (drainage) from piping equipment through which steam flows is known. Also, the vibration and surface temperature of the steam trap are measured, and the presence or absence of steam leakage is diagnosed based on their correlation. A measuring device is used to diagnose the presence or absence of such steam leakage.

Here, a measuring device used for diagnosing the presence or absence of steam leakage has a box-shaped housing and a probe provided to protrude from the housing. A circuit board for performing arithmetic processing for diagnosing the presence or absence of steam leakage based on the measured vibration and surface temperature, a battery as a power source, and the like are housed inside the housing.

In the measuring device according to the conventional technology, no particular waterproof structure is employed to prevent moisture from entering the inside of the casing. However, from the viewpoint of preventing failure of the device, it is desirable to adopt a waterproof structure for the housing portion in which the circuit board and the battery are accommodated. For this reason, for example, it is conceivable to apply the waterproof structure disclosed in Patent Document 1 to the casing of the measuring device.

In Patent Document 1, a groove is formed in the circumferential direction in one of a case that constitutes a housing and a lid member that covers an opening of the case, and a rib that is inserted into the groove is formed in the other. A waterproof structure is disclosed in which a seal packing made of rubber or the like is interposed between the rib portion and the rib portion. In the waterproof structure disclosed in Patent Document 1, the seal packing is compressed between the inner peripheral surface of the groove and the outer peripheral surface of the rib, thereby preventing moisture from entering the housing from the outside. ing.

JP 2015-176918 A

However, in a measuring device for measuring the presence or absence of steam leakage from a steam trap, waterproofness is not sufficient merely by adopting the waterproof structure disclosed in Patent Document 1. That is, the place where the steam trap is installed may be outdoors as well as indoors, and the measurement may need to be performed not only in fine weather but also in rainy weather. For this reason, the measuring equipment may be directly exposed to water, and it is necessary to secure a higher level of waterproofness.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is intended to solve the above-described problems, and provides a measuring apparatus having a structure capable of realizing high waterproofness of a housing portion in which an electronic device is accommodated. aim.

A measuring device according to an aspect of the present invention includes a housing and a probe. The housing portion has a case, a lid member, and a seal packing. The case has a cylindrical shape with a bottom. The lid member is attached to the case so as to close the opening of the case. The seal packing is interposed between the side wall end surface of the case and the lid member. Further, in the housing portion, an electronic device is accommodated in an inner space formed by the case and the lid member.

The probe protrudes from one end surface of the housing portion, and detects the state of the object to be measured when the tip is pressed against the object to be measured.

One of the side wall end face of the case and the opposing region facing the side wall end face of the lid member is recessed in a direction opposite to the mounting direction of the lid member to the case, and is recessed around the opening. has a groove formed to surround the The other of the side wall end face of the case and the opposing region of the lid member opposing the side wall end face is positioned against the wall surface of the groove with the lid member assembled to the case. It has a rib formed to surround the opening of the case.

The seal packing is a tube made of an elastic material and has a ring shape to be inserted into the groove. It is inserted into the groove while being compressed and deformed in the cross-sectional direction.

The measuring device according to the above aspect employs a tube made of an elastic material as the seal packing. Further, in the measuring device according to the above aspect, the seal packing is inserted into the groove formed in one of the case and the lid member. The seal packing inserted into the groove is compressed and deformed in the cross-sectional direction by receiving a pressing force due to the rib portion entering the groove due to the assembly of the case and the lid member. Therefore, in the measuring device according to the above aspect, the contact area of the seal packing with respect to the side wall surfaces and the bottom surfaces of the groove portion and the rib portion is wider than in the structure of Patent Document 1, which employs a solid seal packing. As a result, in the measuring device according to the above aspect, the waterproofness of the casing in which the electronic device is housed can be further enhanced.

In the measuring device according to the aspect described above, the seal packing may include a packing main body configured by an elongated tube, and a joining tube that joins ends of the packing main body in the longitudinal direction. Also, the junction tube may be made of the same material as the packing body, or may be thinner than the packing body. One longitudinal end of the packing body may be inserted through one opening of the joint tube, and the other longitudinal end of the packing body may be inserted through the other opening of the joint tube. may

In the measuring device according to the above aspect, the joint tube is made of the same material as the packing main body, and the thickness of the joint tube is made thinner than the packing main body. Therefore, even when the seal packing is inserted into the groove and is compressed and deformed by the pressing force from the rib, the degree of compressive deformation in the portion where the joining tube is arranged is suppressed from being significantly different from that in other portions. can do. Therefore, the measuring device according to the above aspect is excellent in ensuring high waterproofness in the entire circumference surrounding the opening of the case.

The measuring device according to the aspect described above may include a second seal packing. The second seal packing is a packing that is interposed between the case and lid member, and the probe to keep the case and lid member and the probe in a liquid-tight state. The second seal packing may be made of polyimide resin.

In the measuring device according to the above aspect, the second seal packing is made of polyimide resin. The second seal packing made of polyimide resin has a heat resistance of about 500° C., and even when the tip of the probe is pressed against the object to be measured and the temperature of the probe becomes high, the second seal packing can be used. water resistance is not compromised.

In addition, in the measuring device according to the above aspect, by inserting the second seal packing having high heat resistance as described above between the probe and the case and the lid member, the probe is heated by the heat from the object to be measured. It is possible to suppress the deformation or damage of the case and the cover member even when the temperature becomes high.

In the measuring device according to each aspect described above, it is possible to realize high waterproofness of the housing portion in which the electronic device is accommodated.

It is a front view showing composition of a measuring device concerning an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section taken along the line II-II of FIG. 1; It is a perspective view which shows the structure of seal packing. FIG. 4 is a front view showing the configuration around the root portion of the probe with the cover member removed. FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view showing an earphone jack provided on a side surface of a housing and a cap covering the earphone jack;

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Below, embodiment of this invention is described, considering drawing into consideration. In addition, the form described below is an example of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the following forms except for its essential configuration.

1. Configuration of Measurement Apparatus 1 The configuration of the measurement apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, the measuring apparatus 1 includes a housing 10 having a flat rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a probe 11 projecting outward in the Y direction from an upper surface 10a of the housing 10 . Note that the measuring device 1 according to the present embodiment detects the state of objects to be measured, such as steam traps and pipes through which steam or condensate (drain) flows, and wirelessly transmits the results to a diagnostic device (not shown). It is something to do. The measuring device 1 is a device for measuring the intensity of vibration and the surface temperature of an object to be measured, such as a steam trap.

The housing part 10 is a part held by an operator during measurement. The operator holds, for example, the side surfaces 10b and 10c during measurement. A display unit 12 is provided in a portion close to the top surface 10a on the front surface of the housing unit 10 (the surface on the front side of the paper surface of FIG. 1), and various switches are provided in a portion closer to the bottom surface 10d than the portion where the display unit 12 is provided. 13-17 and a power indicator 18 are provided.

The display unit 12 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display panel (LCD panel), and displays various information such as measurement results (vibration intensity, surface temperature) and diagnosis results of a diagnostic device based on the measurement results. .

The various switches 13 to 17 include a power switch for turning ON/OFF the power of the measuring device 1, a command switch for selecting and executing various commands, a scroll switch for sending/returning data display, and the like. .

2. Configuration of Housing Unit 10 The configuration of the housing unit 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 2 .

As shown in FIG. 2 , the housing portion 10 is configured by combining a case 20 and a lid member 19 . The case 20 has a bottomed prismatic shape and is open upward in the Z direction. The lid member 19 also has a bottomed prismatic shape and is open downward in the Z direction. The lid member 19 and the case 20 are assembled in the Z direction so as to close the openings of each other. Electronic devices such as a liquid crystal display forming the display unit 12 and a circuit board 21 forming a controller are accommodated in the inner space formed by assembling the lid member 19 and the case 20 .

The controller configured by the circuit board 21 includes a microprocessor including MPU/CPU, ASIC, ROM, RAM, etc., and memory. The controller executes firmware or the like pre-stored in the memory, thereby arithmetically processing information on the intensity of vibration detected by the probe 11 and the surface temperature. The processed signal is sent to a diagnostic device. The controller also has a function of receiving diagnostic results from the diagnostic device and displaying the diagnostic results on the display unit 12 .

As shown in the enlarged portion of FIG. 2, a groove portion 20a is formed in the side wall end face of the case 20 so as to be recessed downward in the Z direction and surround the opening of the case 20. As shown in FIG. The groove portion 20a opens upward in the Z direction where the lid member 19 is assembled.

On the other hand, a side wall end surface of the lid member 19 (a surface facing the side wall end surface of the case 20) is formed with a protruding rib portion 19a that is inserted into the groove portion 20a when the lid member 19 is assembled to the case 20. there is The rib portion 19a is formed to surround the opening of the lid member 19 so as to be inserted over the entire circumference into the groove portion 20a.

As shown in the enlarged portion of FIG. 2, when the lid member 19 is assembled to the case 20, the rib portion of the lid member 19 is attached to both side wall surfaces in the X direction and the bottom wall surface of the groove portion 20a downward in the Z direction. The outer wall surface of 19a is in a state of opening a gap. A seal packing 22 made of silicone rubber (elastic material) is inserted in the gap between the groove portion 20a and the rib portion 19a. The seal packing 22 is in a state of being compressed and deformed in the cross-sectional direction (the direction of the cross section shown in the enlarged portion of FIG. 2) due to the pressing force due to the insertion of the rib portion 19a into the groove portion 20a. Thus, the seal packing 22 is liquid-tightly in contact with the wall surfaces of the groove portion 20a and the rib portion 19a over a wide area.

3. Configuration of Seal Packing 22 The configuration of the seal packing 22 will be described with reference to FIG. Note that the sectional view shown in FIG. 3 shows a state in which the seal packing 22 is not subjected to a pressing force from the outside.

As shown in FIG. 3, the seal packing 22 according to this embodiment includes a packing main body 221 formed of an elongated tube, and a joining tube 222 provided for joining end portions of the packing main body 221 to each other. consists of The packing body 221 and the joint tube 222 are made of the same material (silicone rubber).

As shown in the cross-sectional view of part A, the packing body 221 has a hollow portion 221a inside in the cross-sectional direction and has a thickness of T221. On the other hand, as shown in the cross-sectional view of section B, the joining tube 222 also has a hollow portion inside in the cross-sectional direction, and the end portion of the packing body 221 is inserted and fixed into the hollow portion. The thickness of the joining tube 222 is T222, which is thinner than the thickness T221 of the packing main body 221. As shown in FIG.

For joining the outer peripheral surface of the packing body 221 and the inner peripheral surface of the joining tube 222, for example, a joining method using an adhesive can be adopted.

4. Configuration of Probe 11 and Root Portion Periphery of Probe 11 The configuration of the probe 11 and the root portion periphery of the probe 11 in the measuring apparatus will be described with reference to FIG.

The probe 11 has a tip 11a that is pressed against the surface of the steam trap, which is the object to be measured. The probe 11 has a vibration probe having a cylindrical probe tube (for example, a metal pipe such as stainless steel) and a temperature probe arranged inside the probe tube. A base portion 11b of the vibration probe is joined to a portion of the vibration probe opposite to the tip 11a (the root portion of the probe 11). When the tip 11a of the probe 11 is pressed against the steam trap and transmitted to the probe cylinder, a vibration sensor (not shown) outputs a signal corresponding to the intensity of the vibration to the circuit board 19. FIG. The vibration sensor is joined to the base portion 11b. In this embodiment, a piezoelectric acceleration sensor is used as an example of the vibration sensor.

Although detailed illustration is omitted, the temperature probe has a temperature measuring portion slightly protruding rightward in the Y direction from the tip of the probe tube (the tip 11a of the probe 11). Also, the temperature probe has a housing having a cylindrical shape and a thermocouple wire (chromel wire, alumel wire). The surface temperature of the steam trap measured by the temperature probe is timely output to the circuit board 19 .

As shown in FIG. 4, the periphery of the pedestal portion 11b of the probe 11 is covered with a pedestal cover 24. As shown in FIG. The base cover 24 is made of the same resin material as the case 20 and the lid member 19 . A heat-resistant packing (second seal packing) 25 is interposed between the outer peripheral surface of the probe 11 and the inner peripheral surface of the base cover 24 . That is, in the measuring device 1 according to this embodiment, the outer peripheral surface of the probe 11 is configured so as not to be in direct contact with the pedestal cover 24, and the gap between the outer peripheral surface of the probe 11 and the inner peripheral surface 4 of the pedestal cover 2 is A heat-resistant packing 25 is interposed between them to ensure waterproofness.

The heat-resistant packing 25, which is the second sealing packing, is made of a polyimide resin material. The heat-resistant packing 25 formed using the polyimide resin material in this way has a heat resistance of about 500.degree.

Here, the surface temperature of the steam trap, which is the object to be measured, may reach around 500°C. Therefore, when performing measurement by pressing the tip 11a of the probe 11 against the surface of the steam trap, the heat of the steam trap is transferred from the tip 11a of the probe 11, and the base portion (pedestal portion 11b) of the probe 11 is joined. It is conceivable that the temperature will also become high. On the other hand, in the measuring apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the heat-resistant packing 25 is liquid-tightly interposed between the outer peripheral surface of the probe 11 and the inner peripheral surface of the pedestal cover 24, so that the base portion of the probe 11 is The pedestal cover 24 is not deformed or damaged even if the temperature rises.

5. Waterproof Structure of Earphone Jack 26 A waterproof structure of the earphone jack 26 provided in the measuring device 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

The measuring device 1 used for diagnosing steam leakage in a steam trap is also assumed to be used in a noisy environment. Specifically, the measuring device 1 may need to measure a steam trap placed deep inside a complicated pipe. In such a case, it becomes difficult for the operator to check the display on the display unit 12 provided in the housing unit 10, and the operator cannot confirm on the display unit 12 that the measurement has ended. In order to cope with such a case, the measuring device 1 is provided with an earphone jack 26 in the housing part 10 so that an earphone or a headphone can be connected. By connecting an earphone or headphone to the earphone jack 26 and using it, the operator can recognize the signal for the end of the measurement by an audio signal.

As shown in FIG. 5, the earphone jack 26 is provided at the bottom of a concave portion 10e formed in one side surface 10b of the housing portion 10, as an example. In addition, in the measuring device 1 according to the present embodiment, the concave portion 10 e is provided in a portion of the lid member 19 near the mating surface with the case 20 , but the case 20 may be provided with the concave portion 10 e.

The measurement device 1 is provided with a cap 27 that can be fitted into the recess 26 . The cap 27 is made of a rubber material and serves to prevent moisture from entering the earphone jack 26 when it is fitted in the recess 10e.

Although FIG. 5 shows the cap 27 as a member separated from the housing 10, the cap 27 may be connected to the housing 10 or the like with a string or the like. In this way, even if the cap 27 is removed from the recess 10e to use the earphone jack 26, the cap 27 can be prevented from being lost.

6. Effects As described with reference to FIG. 3 , the measuring device 1 according to the present embodiment employs a tube made of silicone rubber (elastic material) as the seal packing 22 . In the measuring device 1, the seal packing 22 is fitted in the groove 20a formed in the case 20, as described with reference to FIG. When the case 20 and the lid member 19 are assembled together, the rib portion 19a of the lid member 19 enters the groove portion 20a while the seal packing 22 is inserted into the groove portion 20a. It is compressed and deformed in the cross-sectional direction. Therefore, in the measuring device 1, the contact area of the seal packing 22 with respect to the inner wall surface of the groove portion 20a and the outer wall surface of the rib portion 19a is wider than the structure of Patent Document 1, which employs a solid seal packing. As a result, in the measurement device 1, the waterproofness of the housing 10 in which the display 12, the circuit board 19, and electronic devices such as a battery are housed can be further enhanced.

In the measuring device 1 according to the present embodiment, as described with reference to FIG. It is thinner than T221. Therefore, even when the seal packing 22 is fitted into the groove portion 20a and is compressed and deformed by the pressing force from the rib portion 19a, the degree of compressive deformation at the portion where the joining tube 222 is arranged is different from that at other portions. You can prevent big changes. Therefore, the measuring device 1 is excellent in ensuring high waterproofness in the entire periphery surrounding each opening of the case 20 and the lid member 19 .

In the measuring device 1 according to this embodiment, as described with reference to FIG. 4, the heat-resistant packing 25 is made of polyimide resin. The heat-resistant packing 25 made of polyimide resin has a heat resistance of about 500° C., and when the tip 11a of the probe 11 is pressed against the steam trap, which is the object to be measured, the temperature of the base of the probe 11 becomes high. Even in this case, the waterproof property of the heat-resistant packing 25 is not impaired.

Further, in the measuring device 1, the heat-resistant packing 25 having high heat resistance is interposed between the outer peripheral surface of the probe 11 and the pedestal cover 24, so that the base portion of the probe 11 becomes hot due to the heat from the steam trap. Even in the event that the base cover 24, the case 20, and the lid member 19 are deformed or damaged, it can be suppressed.

As described above, in the measuring device according to the present embodiment, it is possible to realize high waterproofness of the housing part 10 in which the electronic device is accommodated.

[Modification]
In the measuring device 1 according to the above-described embodiment, the seal packing 22 having a structure in which the ends of the packing main body 221 are joined with the joining tube 222 is adopted, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, an endless tube can be used as the seal packing.

Moreover, although the measuring device 1 according to the above-described embodiment employs a structure in which the inner peripheral surface of the joining tube 222 is joined to the outer peripheral surface at the end of the packing body 221, the present invention is limited to this. is not. For example, it is possible to join the ends by inserting a joining tube having the same outer diameter as the inner peripheral surface of the packing body into a hollow portion formed inside at the end of the packing body.

In the measuring device 1 according to the above embodiment, the case 20 is formed with the groove portion 20a having a substantially rectangular cross section, and the lid member 19 is also formed with the rib portion 19a having a substantially rectangular cross section. is not limited to. For example, it is possible to employ grooves and ribs having a semicircular cross-sectional shape, or to employ grooves and ribs having a polygonal cross-sectional shape.

Further, in the measuring device 1 according to the above-described embodiment, the case 20 is formed with the groove portion 20a and the lid member 19 is formed with the rib portion 19a. It is also possible to form grooves.

Furthermore, in the measuring device 1 according to the above-described embodiment, one strip of seal packing 22 is arranged so as to surround the opening of the case 20 and the lid member 19, but two or more strips of seal packing may be arranged. good. In this case, it is possible to employ a so-called labyrinth seal structure by means of grooves and ribs formed in the case and lid member. This makes it possible to further improve waterproofness.

In the measuring device 1 according to the above embodiment, as described with reference to FIG. 4, the pedestal cover 24 is inserted between the case 20 and the cover member 19 and the outer peripheral surface of the probe 11, and the pedestal portion 11b of the probe 11 is Although the heat-resistant packing 25 is interposed between the outer peripheral surface of and the base cover 24, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the case 20 and the lid member 19 are cylindrically extended so as to cover the root portion of the probe 11 (the case 20 and the lid member 19 constitute the base cover 24), and the extension of the case 20 and the lid member 19 is A heat-resistant packing may be interposed between the inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface of the base portion 11 b of the probe 11 . If the extension portions of the case and the lid member are made of a heat-resistant material by, for example, two-color molding, the heat-resistant packing does not necessarily have to be interposed.

In the measuring device 1 according to the above-described embodiment, the earphone jack 26 is provided on the side surface 10b of the housing part 10, and the cap 27 is attached to the earphone jack 26 for waterproofing the earphone jack 26 when not in use. It is not limited to this. For example, sound such as signals from the measuring device 1 may be wirelessly transmitted to earphones or headphones worn by the operator. In this case, it is not necessary to attach a cap.

Reference Signs List 1 measuring device 10 housing 11 probe 19 lid member 19a rib 20 case 20a groove 22 seal packing 24 pedestal cover 25 heat-resistant packing (second seal packing)
26 earphone jack 27 cap 221 packing body 222 junction tube

Claims (3)

A case having a cylindrical shape with a bottom, a cover member assembled to the case so as to block an opening of the case, and a seal packing interposed between a side wall end face of the case and the cover member, a housing portion in which an electronic device is housed in an inner space formed by the case and the lid member;
a probe that protrudes from one end surface of the casing and detects the state of the object to be measured when the tip is pressed against the object to be measured;
with
One of the side wall end face of the case and the opposing region facing the side wall end face of the lid member is recessed in a direction opposite to the mounting direction of the lid member to the case, and is recessed around the opening. having a groove formed to surround the
The other of the side wall end face of the case and the opposing region of the lid member facing the side wall end face is positioned against the wall surface of the groove with the lid member assembled to the case. having a rib formed to surround the opening of the case and inserted with a gap in the case;
The seal packing is a tube made of an elastic material and has a ring shape to be inserted into the groove. is inserted into the groove in a state of being compressed and deformed in the cross-sectional direction by receiving
measuring device. In the measuring device according to claim 1,
The seal packing has a packing body formed of an elongated tube, and a joining tube that joins the ends of the packing body in the longitudinal direction,
The junction tube is made of the same material as the packing body and is thinner than the packing body,
One longitudinal end of the packing body is inserted through one opening of the joint tube, and the other longitudinal end of the packing body is inserted through the other opening of the joint tube,
measuring device. In the measuring device according to claim 1 or claim 2,
further comprising a second seal packing interposed between the case and the cover member and the probe to establish a liquid-tight state between the case and the cover member and the probe;
The second seal packing is made of polyimide resin,
measuring device.

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