JP3211933U - Gas meter - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a gas meter capable of attaching a communication device to the front side of the gas meter regardless of the size of the controller. A gas meter includes an upper case, a front cover, a terminal lid, and a mounting portion. The upper case 10 houses the controller C. Further, the upper case 10 is formed with an opening for exposing the controller C and a terminal for transmitting a signal to the controller C to the outside. The front cover 30 covers the controller C by closing a part of the opening. The terminal lid 40 covers the terminal by closing the opening together with the front cover 30. The attachment portion 50 is provided on the terminal lid 40, and the NCU 60 connected to the terminal is attached to the attachment portion 50. [Selection] Figure 4

Description

  The present invention relates to a gas meter.

  Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose gas meters to which communication devices such as an NCU (Network Control Unit) and a multistage repeater are attached. The communication device relays transmission and reception of signals in order to make various settings from the outside to the controller built in the gas meter and to acquire information stored in the storage means of the controller.

  The gas meters described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 have an upper case and a lower case that house a measuring means for measuring gas and a controller. An opening for exposing the controller to the outside is formed on the front surface of the upper case. The user performs operations such as attaching the controller to the inside of the gas meter and removing the controller from the inside of the gas meter through the opening. This opening is closed by the front cover and the terminal lid. In addition, an attachment portion for attaching a communication device is provided on the front surface of the upper case, and the front cover and the terminal lid are attached to the upper case so as not to cover the attachment portion.

Design Registration No. 1537126 Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2015-232512

  In recent years, the controller tends to increase in size as the gas meter becomes multifunctional. When the size of the controller is increased, it is necessary to form a large opening in the upper case. In this case, with the increase in size of the opening, a space for forming a mounting portion for mounting the communication device cannot be secured on the front surface of the upper case. As a result, it is difficult to mount the communication device on the front side of the gas meter. Become.

  The present invention has been made under the above circumstances, and provides a gas meter in which a communication device can be attached to the front side of the gas meter regardless of the size of the controller.

In order to achieve the above object, a gas meter according to a first aspect of the present invention provides:
A case in which an opening that exposes the controller and a terminal that transmits a signal to the controller and the controller is formed while housing the controller;
A cover covering the controller by closing a part of the opening;
Closing the opening together with the cover to cover the terminal; and
An attachment portion provided on the terminal lid, to which a communication device connected to the terminal is attached;
Have

  The terminal lid may be made of resin.

The cover is formed with a terminal window,
The terminal lid may be attached to the terminal window.

The gas meter according to the second aspect of the present invention is:
A case in which an opening is formed to house the controller and expose the controller to the outside;
A cover that covers the controller by closing the opening;
A mounting portion provided on the cover, to which a communication device for transmitting a signal to the controller is mounted;
Have

  The cover may be made of resin.

  The attachment portion may be configured in a sublingual shape that extends downward.

The gas meter according to the third aspect of the present invention is:
A case for storing the controller,
An attachment part configured to have a sublingual shape extending downward from the case and to which a communication device for transmitting a signal to the controller is attached;
Have

  One or two attachment holes may be formed in the attachment portion.

A first metering chamber and a second metering chamber; a metering membrane that partitions the first metering chamber and the second metering chamber; a gas path for supplying gas to the first metering chamber and the second metering chamber; Measuring means having
The case may include a lower case in which the first measuring chamber, the second measuring chamber, and the measuring film are disposed, and an upper case in which the gas path is disposed.

  In the gas meter according to the present invention, a communication device can be attached to the front side of the gas meter regardless of the size of the controller.

It is a front view of the gas meter concerning Embodiment 1 of the present invention. It is a perspective view of the gas meter from which the front cover and the terminal lid are removed. 3 is a perspective view of a front cover and a terminal lid according to Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a front view for demonstrating the use condition of the gas meter which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a front view of the gas meter which concerns on a comparative example. 6 is a perspective view of a front cover and a terminal lid according to a modification of the first embodiment. FIG. It is a front view of the gas meter which concerns on Embodiment 2 from which the terminal cover was removed. 6 is a perspective view of a front cover according to Embodiment 2. FIG. It is a front view for demonstrating the use condition of the gas meter which concerns on Embodiment 2. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a front cover and a terminal lid according to Modification 1 of Embodiment 2. FIG. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a front cover and a terminal lid according to Modification 2 of Embodiment 2. 6 is a perspective view of a gas meter according to Embodiment 3. FIG.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
Hereinafter, the gas meter 1 which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention is demonstrated with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the gas meter 1 is a membrane gas meter that is connected to the gas pipes G <b> 1 and G <b> 2 and has a metering membrane inside in the first embodiment. The gas meter 1 includes a measuring mechanism M that measures a gas flow rate through the gas pipes G1 and G2, an upper case 10 and a lower case 20, a front cover 30 (cover), a terminal lid 40 that covers a terminal 41, and an attachment 50. On the front surface of the front cover 30, a return button B and a display portion D are disposed. As shown in FIG. 2, the gas meter 1 includes a controller C, a shutoff valve V that shuts off the flow of gas flowing through the gas path, a pressure sensor S that detects the pressure in the gas flow path, And a built-in battery (not shown).

  As shown in FIG. 1, the measurement mechanism unit M includes a first measurement chamber and a second measurement chamber, a measurement membrane that partitions the first measurement chamber and the second measurement chamber, a valve, a counter, a first measurement chamber, and a second measurement chamber. It consists of a gas path leading to the chamber. The measurement mechanism unit M alternately fills and discharges the gas into and from the first measurement chamber and the second measurement chamber based on the valve operation. A counter counts the reciprocating motion of the metering membrane accompanying the filling and discharging of the gas, thereby calculating the flow rate flowing through the gas pipes G1 and G2.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the upper case 10 is a member that protects the built-in components of the gas meter 1. The inside of the upper case 10 is configured as a machine room in which a controller C, a shutoff valve V, a pressure sensor S, and the like are arranged. The upper case 10 is formed by die casting in the first embodiment. A gas inlet 11, a gas outlet 12, and a handle 14 are formed on the upper surface of the upper case 10. Gas pipes G1 and G2 are connected to the gas inlet 11 and the gas outlet 12, respectively.

  As shown in FIG. 2, an opening 13 is formed on the front surface of the upper case 10 from which the front cover and the terminal lid are removed. The controller C, the shutoff valve V, the pressure sensor S, and the like are exposed to the outside through the opening 13. The user performs an operation of mounting built-in components (the controller C, the shut-off valve V, the pressure sensor S, and the built-in battery) in the gas meter 1 through the opening 13.

  The lower case 20 is a member that protects the internal mechanism of the gas meter 1 together with the upper case 10. Similar to the upper case 10, the lower case 20 is formed by die casting, for example. The inside of the lower case 20 is configured as a measurement chamber in which a first measurement chamber, a second measurement chamber, a measurement film, and the like are arranged. The upper case 10 is fixed to the upper portion of the lower case 20 by fixing means such as bolts and screws. On the surface of the lower case 20, a description surface 21 on which the meter number of the gas meter 1 is described is formed.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the front cover 30 is a member that covers the controller C by closing the opening 13 of the upper case 10 in a watertight manner. The front cover 30 is made of resin in this embodiment. The front cover 30 is attached to the upper case 10 via packing so as to cover the opening 13 with four screws. On the front surface of the front cover 30, through holes 31 and 32 for exposing the return button B and the display portion D to the outside are provided. A terminal window 33 that is long in the lateral direction is formed on the front surface of the front cover 30. The terminal window 33 is a hole for exposing a terminal mounted on the controller C to the outside.

  The terminal lid 40 is a member that covers the terminal by closing the opening 13 together with the front cover 30 in a watertight manner. The terminal lid 40 is made of resin in the present embodiment. The terminal lid 40 is attached to the front cover 30 via a packing so as to cover the terminal window 33 by a fixing member 42 such as a screw or a bolt.

  The attachment unit 50 is used to attach an NCU (Network Control Unit) to the gas meter 1. In the first embodiment, the attachment portion 50 is provided integrally with the terminal lid 40. The attachment portion 50 is configured in a sublingual shape that extends downward from the lower end of the terminal lid 40. Two attachment holes 51 used for fixing the NCU are formed through the attachment portion 50.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the controller C includes a circuit board. In FIG. 2, the return button B, the display unit D, and other components and terminals mounted on the circuit board are omitted. The controller C is connected to the pressure sensor S, the shutoff valve V, and the like. The controller C is for realizing various functions of the gas meter 1 and controls the shutoff valve V based on the detection result of the pressure sensor S, for example.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the NCU 60 is attached to the gas meter 1 configured as described above. The NCU 60 relays transmission and reception of signals in order to make various settings for the controller C from outside the gas meter 1 and to acquire information stored in the storage means of the controller C. An attachment portion 61 for fixing the NCU 60 to the attachment portion 50 is extended from the upper end portion of the NCU 60. Two through holes 62 are formed in the attachment portion 61. The NCU 60 is attached to the gas meter 1 by fixing the through hole 62 and the attachment hole 51 of the attachment portion 50 to each other by a fixing means 63 such as a screw. The NCU 60 attached to the gas meter 1 is disposed on the front side of the lower case 20 as can be seen with reference to FIG.

  As described above, in the first embodiment, the terminal lid 40 is provided with the sublingual attachment portion 50 extending downward. For this reason, the NCU 60 can be attached to the front side of the gas meter 1 even when the controller C is enlarged due to the multifunction of the gas meter 1.

  For example, in the gas meter 100 having a relatively small size of the controller C shown in FIG. 5 (the gas meter 100 according to the comparative example), the mounting portion 50 for mounting the NCU 60 is formed directly on the front surface of the upper case 10. . In recent years, the controller C tends to increase in size due to the multifunction of the gas meter 1. For this reason, when a large-sized controller C is applied to the gas meter 100 according to the comparative example, it is necessary to make the opening 13 of the upper case 10 large as can be seen with reference to FIG. In this case, with the increase in size of the opening 13, it is difficult to ensure a space for forming the attachment portion 50 for attaching the NCU 60 on the front surface of the upper case 10. As a result, it becomes difficult to attach the NCU 60 to the front side of the gas meter. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the NCU 60 may interfere with the space where the gas pipes around the installed gas meter 100 are arranged, so the upper space, the side surface space, the lower space of the gas meter 100, It is not preferable to arrange in the back side space.

  On the other hand, in the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the attachment portion 50 is formed in a sublingual shape extending downward from the terminal lid 40, so the controller C is enlarged. Even in this case, the NCU 60 can be attached to the front side of the gas meter 1. As a result, regardless of the size of the controller C, a communication device can be attached to the front side of the gas meter 1.

  Further, since the NCU 60 can be arranged on the front side of the gas meter 1, a narrow place where the surrounding gas pipes are arranged without substantially increasing the width dimension W of the gas meter 1 to which the NCU 60 is attached. The gas meter 1 can also be installed.

  In the first embodiment, the mounting portion 50 is formed not on the upper case 10 that cannot be easily replaced, but on the terminal lid 40 that can be replaced relatively easily. For this reason, it becomes easy to perform the work regarding the gas meter 1. Further, even if the mounting portion 50 is damaged after the gas meter 1 is distributed in the market, the repair of the gas meter 1 can be facilitated by replacing the terminal lid 40.

Modification of the first embodiment.
In the said Embodiment 1, the attaching part 50 is comprised by the sublingual shape extended below. However, it is not limited to this. As in the modification shown in FIG. 6, the attachment portion 50 may be directly formed on the front surface 40 a of the terminal lid 40.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
Hereinafter, the gas meter 2 according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The gas meter 2 is different from the gas meter 1 according to the first embodiment in that the mounting portion 50 is provided on the front cover 30.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the gas meter 2 includes an upper case 10 and a lower case 20, a front cover 30, a terminal lid 40, and an attachment portion 50, as with the gas meter 1. The upper case 10 and the lower case 20 are the same as those of the gas meter 1.

  The front cover 30 is a member that covers the controller C by closing the opening 13 of the upper case 10 in a watertight manner. The front cover 30 is made of resin.

  The terminal lid 40 is a member that covers the terminal 41 by closing the opening 13 together with the front cover 30 in a watertight manner. The terminal lid 40 is made of resin. Unlike the gas meter 1, the terminal lid 40 is not provided with a mounting portion 50.

  The attachment portion 50 is used for attaching the NCU to the gas meter 2. In the second embodiment, the attachment portion 50 is provided integrally with the front cover 30. The attachment portion 50 is configured in a sublingual shape that extends downward from the lower end of the front cover 30. Two attachment holes 51 used for fixing the NCU are formed through the attachment portion 50.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the NCU 60 is attached to the gas meter 2 configured as described above. In the NCU 60, an attachment portion 61 for fixing to the attachment portion 50 is extended from the upper end portion. Two through holes 62 are formed in the attachment portion 61. The NCU 60 is attached to the gas meter 2 by fixing the through hole 62 and the attachment hole 51 of the attachment portion 50 to each other by a fixing means 63 such as a screw. The NCU 60 attached to the gas meter 2 is disposed on the front side of the lower case 20, as can be seen with reference to FIG.

  As described above, in the second embodiment, the front cover 30 is provided with the attachment portion 50 having a sublingual shape extending downward. For this reason, even when the controller C is enlarged due to the multi-function of the gas meter 2, the NCU 60 can be attached to the front side of the gas meter 2 in the same manner as the gas meter 1 according to the first embodiment. As a result, regardless of the size of the controller C, a communication device can be attached to the front side of the gas meter 2.

  Further, since the NCU 60 can be arranged on the front side of the gas meter 2, a narrow place where the surrounding gas piping is arranged without substantially increasing the width dimension W of the gas meter 2 to which the NCU 60 is attached. The gas meter 2 can also be installed.

  In the second embodiment, the mounting portion 50 is formed not on the upper case 10 that cannot be easily replaced, but on the front cover 30 that can be replaced relatively easily. For this reason, it becomes easy to perform the work regarding the gas meter 2.

  Further, in the second embodiment, when an impact is applied to the NCU 60 in the market, the upper case 10 and other built-in devices are not easily damaged, and only the mounting portion 50 is easily damaged. In this case, if the front cover 30 is not replaced after the attachment portion 50 is damaged, the NCU 60 cannot be attached, but can be used as a normal gas meter 2.

Modification 1 of Embodiment 2
In the said Embodiment 2, the attaching part 50 is comprised by the sublingual shape extended below. However, it is not limited to this. As in the modification shown in FIG. 10, the attachment portion 50 may be formed directly on the front surface 30 a of the front cover 30.

Modification 2 of Embodiment 2
In the second embodiment, the terminal window 33 is formed in the front cover 30. However, it is not limited to this. As shown in FIG. 11, the front cover 30 may not have the terminal window 33 formed thereon.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited by the said embodiment.

  For example, in the first and second embodiments, the communication device has been described as the NCU 60. However, the communication device may be a device other than the NCU 60, for example, a multistage repeater, or other communication device. Also good.

  Moreover, in the said Embodiment 1, 2, the gas meters 1 and 2 are film | membrane type gas meters which have a measurement film | membrane inside. However, it is not limited to this. The gas meters 1 and 2 may be other than the membrane gas meter.

  In the first and second embodiments, two attachment holes 51 are formed in the attachment portion 50. However, it is not limited to this. One or three or more attachment holes 51 may be formed in the attachment portion 50.

  In the first and second embodiments, the upper case 10 is made of metal, and the front cover 30 and the terminal lid 40 are made of resin. However, it is not limited to this. The front cover 30 and the terminal lid 40 may be made of a material other than resin as long as the material is less rigid than the material of the upper case 10.

Embodiment 3 FIG.
In the first and second embodiments, the attachment portion 50 is provided on the front cover 30 or the terminal lid 40. However, it is not limited to this. As shown in FIG. 12, like the gas meter 3 according to the third embodiment, the attachment portion 50 may be configured in a sublingual shape that extends downward from the upper case 10. However, since it is not easy to replace the entire upper case 10 when the mounting portion 50 is damaged, the first and second embodiments relate to the ease of replacement of the front cover 30 and the terminal lid 40. Gas meters 1 and 2 are preferred.

  Various embodiments and modifications of the present invention are possible without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present invention. The above-described embodiments are for explaining the present invention, and do not limit the scope of the present invention.

  1, 2, 3, 100: Gas meter, 10: Upper case, 11: Gas inlet, 12: Gas outlet, 13: Opening, 14: Handle, 20: Lower case, 21: Description surface, 30: Front cover ( Cover), 30a: front, 31, 32: through-hole, 33: terminal window, 40: terminal lid, 40a: front, 41: terminal, 42: fixing member, 50: mounting portion, 51: mounting hole, 60: NCU 61: mounting portion, 62: through hole, 63: fixing means, M: measuring mechanism portion, G1, G2: gas pipe, C: controller, B: return button, D: display portion, V: shut-off valve, S: Pressure sensor, W: width dimension (of gas meter).

Claims (9)

A case in which an opening that exposes the controller and a terminal that transmits a signal to the controller and the controller is formed while housing the controller;
A cover covering the controller by closing a part of the opening;
Closing the opening together with the cover to cover the terminal; and
An attachment portion provided on the terminal lid, to which a communication device connected to the terminal is attached;
Having a gas meter.   The gas meter according to claim 1, wherein the terminal lid is made of resin. The cover is formed with a terminal window,
The gas meter according to claim 1, wherein the terminal lid is attached to the terminal window. A case in which an opening is formed to house the controller and expose the controller to the outside;
A cover that covers the controller by closing the opening;
A mounting portion provided on the cover, to which a communication device for transmitting a signal to the controller is mounted;
Having a gas meter.   The gas meter according to claim 4, wherein the cover is made of resin.   The gas meter according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the attachment portion is configured in a sublingual shape extending downward. A case for storing the controller,
An attachment part configured to have a sublingual shape extending downward from the case and to which a communication device for transmitting a signal to the controller is attached;
Having a gas meter.   The gas meter according to claim 6 or 7, wherein one or two attachment holes are formed in the attachment portion. A first metering chamber and a second metering chamber; a metering membrane that partitions the first metering chamber and the second metering chamber; a gas path for supplying gas to the first metering chamber and the second metering chamber; Measuring means having
The case is composed of a lower case in which the first measuring chamber, the second measuring chamber, and the measuring film are disposed, and an upper case in which the gas path is disposed. The gas meter according to any one of 8.

Images