JP4659401B2 - Gas meter - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a gas meter, and more particularly, to a gas meter that has a remaining amount management function and shuts off the supply of gas when an arbitrary remaining amount level is detected.

  A gas meter having a function of managing the remaining amount of a container filled with a gas to be supplied is used. Here, the detection level of the remaining amount of gas in the container is set in multiple stages, and when the remaining amount of gas in the container reaches each set detection level, the concentration that is operated by the gas company via the communication line Notify the monitoring center. In response to the notification from the gas meter, the gas company performs replenishment and replacement work for the gas container.

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a means for measuring the flow rate of gas supplied from a gas container, and the flow rate is integrated by a counter, and when the counter amount of the counter reaches a preset warning amount, a notification is given to the outside. There is disclosed a gas container remaining amount monitoring device including means for performing the above operation. Here, when replacing the gas container, the replacement amount can be subtracted from the count amount of the remaining amount management counter, so there is no error between the reset amount of the remaining amount management counter and the actual gas usage amount. It is stated that safety can be improved.

Moreover, even if the gas container is shared by a plurality of houses such as an apartment house or a two-family house, Patent Document 2 indicates how much gas is left in the shared gas container at the report destination. A gas remaining amount monitoring device is disclosed in an automatic meter-reporting device that is capable of monitoring and managing the remaining amount of gas, and instructing to replace the gas container when necessary. Yes.
Japanese Patent No. 2872751 Japanese Patent No. 3301016

  In the conventional remaining amount management, the gas remaining in the container reaches each predetermined remaining amount level, and the gas operator has been notified, but the gas has not been May not be refilled or replaced. At this time, the gas user may encounter a gas exhaustion state with a switch such as a stove open, and may be left as it is. After that, when the gas company replenishes or replaces the gas, since the switch such as the stove remains open, there is a possibility of causing gas leakage at the user's house, which is dangerous.

  Or, if the gas remaining in the container continues to be very low despite the notification to the gas company, there is a possibility that the stove or other fire will be extinguished and raw gas may flow out into the house. There is a danger.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and in a gas meter having a function of monitoring the remaining amount of gas in a gas container, the supply of gas is surely stopped when the remaining amount of gas reaches a predetermined value. It is an object of the present invention to provide a gas meter that prevents unnecessarily outflow of gas from a gas container after replacement work or a gas container whose remaining amount has been reduced, and enables reliable and safe management. .

In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention is constituted by the following technical means.
The first technical means has a flow rate measuring means for measuring the flow rate of the gas supplied from the gas container, and a blocking means for cutting off the supply of the gas from the gas container, and the flow rate measured by the flow rate measuring means is adjusted. A gas meter for operating the shut-off means to shut off the supply of gas when a predetermined predetermined flow rate flows based on the flow rate integrating means for integrating the flow rate measured by the flow rate measuring means; It has a means for calculating the remaining amount of gas in the gas container from the flow rate integrated by the flow rate integrating means and the capacity of the gas container, and a cutoff level holding means for preliminarily holding the cutoff level for operating the cutoff means. Compare the remaining gas amount in the gas container with the shut-off level held in the shut-off level holding means, and the calculated remaining gas amount in the gas container corresponds to the shut-off level held in the shut-off level holding means When Operates the blocking means is obtained by characterized in that shut off the supply of gas.

According to a second technical means, in the first technical means, based on the flow rate measured by the flow rate measuring means, an alarm means for performing a predetermined alarm and an alarm value holding for preliminarily holding an integrated flow rate value for operating the alarm means The integrated value of the flow rate integrating means and the alarm value held in the alarm value holding means are compared, and the use flow rate based on the integrated value corresponds to the integrated flow value held in the alarm value holding means Thus, the alarm means is operated to perform a predetermined alarm.

The third technical means is characterized in that, in the second technical means, a predetermined alarm is given by the alarm means during the shut-off operation by the shut-off means.

According to a fourth technical means, in the second or third technical means, the predetermined alarm by the alarm means is the transmission of alarm information to an external device via the communication line and / or the alarm information by the display means provided in the gas meter. It is characterized by being executed by display.

A fifth technical means is the fourth technical means, characterized in that the integrated flow rate value for operating the alarm means can be set at a plurality of levels.

A sixth technical means is any one of the first to fifth technical means, wherein the gas meter is a gas meter having no pressure detecting means.

  According to the present invention, the gas meter having a function of monitoring the remaining amount of gas in the gas container is provided with a gas shut-off function that reliably stops the supply of gas when the remaining amount of gas reaches a predetermined value. It is possible to provide a gas meter that can prevent unnecessarily outflow of gas from a later gas container or a container whose remaining amount is low and can perform reliable and safe gas management.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a gas meter according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is also a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a general microcomputer meter. In FIG. 1, 1 is a gas meter, 2 is an external device, 10 is a control unit, 11 is a metering unit, 12 is a sensor unit, 13 is a display unit, 14 is a blocking unit, 15 is a terminal block, 21 is a home controller, 22 Is a network control device (hereinafter referred to as NCU), 23 is a gas leak alarm, 24 is an external 1 device (device of external terminal 1), 25 is an external 2 device (device of external terminal 2), 10a is a microcomputer (Hereinafter referred to as a microcomputer) 10b is an interface, 10c is a battery, 10d is a test cutoff switch, 10e is a container reset switch, 11a is a weighing function, 12a is a battery voltage detection sensor, 12b is a flow sensor, 12c is a pressure sensor, 12d Is a seismic sensor, 13a is an integrated display function, 13b is a security display function, 14a is a bidirectional shut-off valve, and 14b is a shut-off valve opening switch.

  The gas meter 1 includes a control unit 10 that performs various controls in the gas meter 1, a measuring unit 11 that measures a gas flow rate, a sensor unit 12, a display unit 13, and a blocking unit 14, and a terminal that connects to the external device 2. A stand 15 is provided.

  The metering unit 11 includes a metering function 11a that outputs the rotational speed or fluid vibration of the rotating body according to the gas flow rate. The sensor unit 12 includes sensors that detect physical quantities related to the gas flow rate and security. The battery voltage detection sensor 12a detects the voltage of the battery 10c, the flow rate sensor 12b detects the output of the measuring function 11a, and the gas pressure. The pressure sensor 12c detects gas pressure such as a drop, and a seismic sensor 12d detects vibration such as seismic waves. The flow rate sensor 17 is a sensor for detecting the flow rate, and of course may be a flow rate sensor that calculates the flow rate by the microcomputer 10a, or via a flow rate calculator (flow rate converter). The flow rate may be transmitted to the microcomputer 10a.

  The control unit 10 mainly performs arithmetic processing on the captured sensor signal, stores the processing data, and outputs the processed data to the display unit 13 or to the outside via the terminal block 15. 10b, a battery 10c serving as a power source, a test cutoff switch 10d for testing whether the bidirectional cutoff valve 14a functions normally, a container reset switch 10e, and the like. In addition, the electric power of the battery 10c is supplied to each part, and becomes a power source which operates this gas meter.

  The microcomputer 10a is an electronic control device that performs a process of instructing the flow sensor 12b and measuring and integrating the flow based on a flow detection signal from the flow sensor 12b. And a memory for recording processing data and recording processing data.

  The display unit 13 is a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) that displays data processed by the control unit 10 according to a predetermined program or an external command, and includes a gas flow integrated display function 13a, a security display. It has a function 13b and the like. The shut-off unit 14 shuts off the control valve according to a command from the microcomputer 10a of the control unit 10 when an abnormality or the like due to the signal from the sensor unit 12 occurs. The bidirectional shut-off valve 14a, shut-off valve as a control valve An open switch 14b and the like are included.

  On the other hand, the external device 2 is equipment connected to the outside of the gas meter 1 via the terminal block 15. For example, the external device 2 makes a call between the home operating device 21 that operates the gas meter 1 in the home and the gas meter 1. Other external devices (here, one external device) such as an NCU 22 that controls the telephone exchange network such as sending and disconnecting selection signals, a gas leak alarm device 23 that alarms gas leaks in the gas meter 1, and a handy terminal and PC (personal computer) 24 and two external devices 25) are provided.

The NCU 22 is a device that connects the gas meter 1 to a central monitoring center and the like via a telephone line in order to perform the communication function (automatic notification, remote shut-off, automatic meter reading, etc.) of the gas meter 1. 1 data is transmitted and received.
The handy terminal and the PC are used as a meter reading device and a setting device. The setting device changes or confirms the settings of the installed gas meter. The items to be set and confirmed include continuous use time setting and flaming registration, but the specifications are determined by the operation type of the gas company.

The microcomputer 10a of the gas meter monitors the amount of supply gas used by the flow sensor 12b, and executes a predetermined alarm notification process when the remaining amount of the gas container reaches a predetermined alarm level.
Further, in the present invention, in addition to the above-described alarm notification processing, the function of automatically shutting off the gas supply when the integrated usage amount of the supply gas monitored by the flow sensor 12b reaches a predetermined cutoff level value. Is provided. The alarm level or shut-off level is set based on the remaining amount value in the container to be warned or shut off according to the capacity of the container to be used. And when performing said interruption | blocking process, a warning notification process is performed simultaneously.

  Here, the microcomputer 10a previously stores alarm level information for performing the alarm notification process in a memory, and executes the alarm process when the integrated value of the gas usage reaches the alarm level. In the alarm processing, the NCU 22 transmits information notifying that the remaining amount of gas in the container has decreased to a management entity such as a centralized monitoring center via a communication line. Further, the security display function 13a of the display unit 13 performs a display notifying that the remaining amount of the container has decreased to the alarm level.

  The alarm level can be set in a plurality of stages. For example, when the capacity of the container is 100 L, an alarm level corresponding to two levels of gas usage of 50 L and 70 L is set in advance, and the integrated value of gas usage corresponds to the above alarm level. When the value to be reached is reached, the predetermined alarm notification process as described above is executed.

Furthermore, the microcomputer 10a holds in advance a shut-off level for shutting off the gas supply in the memory, and executes the shut-off process when the integrated value of gas usage reaches the shut-off level. When the shut-off process is executed at the shut-off level, the alarm notification process as described above is executed at the same time, information for notifying gas shut-off is transmitted to a remote central monitoring center, etc., and the shut-off information is displayed on the display unit 13 of the gas meter. Is displayed.
For example, as described above, when the alarm level is set as the usage amount 50L, 70L, by setting the cutoff level as 90L, the gas remaining amount in the container is set to the minimum allowable amount after a plurality of alarms. At this point, the gas supply can be automatically shut off.

  The above alarm level and cutoff level may be determined based on the actual usage flow rate based on the integrated flow rate, and the alarm level and cutoff level may be determined based on the gas usage amount. Is set based on the remaining amount of gas in the container, and the alarm level and shut-off level are judged from the remaining amount value in the gas container calculated from the actual usage flow rate by the integrated flow rate and the capacity of the gas container. It may be.

The above processing example will be described more specifically.
The warning level and the cutoff level are set in advance in the memory of the microcomputer 10a of the gas meter. As described above, these can be set as a specific value of the integrated flow value integrated based on the output signal of the flow sensor 12b, or a specific value of the remaining amount of gas in the gas container.
Each level information may be set from a centralized monitoring center or the like by communication via a communication line, or may be set to a gas meter using a setting device or the like. These setting levels can be changed as appropriate according to the container used and the gas usage environment. In addition, you may make it provide only the interruption | blocking level which interrupts | blocks with a predetermined remaining amount level, without providing a warning level.

  When the gas container is replaced with a new container, the container reset switch 10e is pushed by an exchange worker or the like, and the remaining amount counter of the microcomputer 10a is reset. Further, the remaining amount counter may be reset from a remote centralized monitoring center or the like via a communication line.

  When the use of the gas starts, the measuring unit 11 outputs the rotational speed or flow vibration of the rotating body corresponding to the gas flow rate to the sensor unit 12, and the flow rate sensor 12b generates an electric signal corresponding to the gas usage amount. This is sent to the control unit 10. The microcomputer 10a of the control unit 10 accumulates the amount of gas used after reset according to the electrical signal sent from the flow sensor 12b and accumulates it in the remaining amount counter of the microcomputer 10a.

  The microcomputer 10a monitors the integrated value of the remaining amount counter, and when the integrated value reaches the warning level set in the memory (or the residual value in the container calculated from the integrated value is the warning level). The warning notification process is performed at the time of reaching (the same applies hereinafter). The warning notification process is the warning notification to the remote central monitoring center and the warning display on the display unit 13 of the gas meter as described above, or may be appropriately determined to be any one of these.

A plurality of warning levels can be set as described above, and when the gas continues to be used beyond the warning level and the integrated value reaches the cutoff level, the microcomputer 10a The gas supply is automatically stopped by performing the above-described blocking process. Here, the bidirectional shutoff valve 14a is operated under the control of the microcomputer 10a to shut off the gas supply.
Then, the blocking process is performed, and the warning notification process as described above is performed.

  As described above, the flow rate measuring means of the present invention for measuring the flow rate of gas is realized in the present embodiment by the measuring unit 11, the flow rate sensor 12b, and the microcomputer 10a of FIG. Further, the flow rate integrating means of the present invention is realized by the microcomputer 10a having a remaining amount counter. Further, the cutoff value holding means and the alarm value holding means of the present invention are realized by a memory included in the microcomputer 10a.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining an example of the procedure of the gas supply cutoff process of the gas meter according to the present invention. The example of FIG. 2 illustrates a process for performing remaining amount management by setting a shut-off level for shutting off gas and two warning levels (the first warning level and the second warning level). is there.
First, in the initial setting, each warning level and cutoff level are set, and a container reset is performed to clear the remaining amount counter (step S1). Here, as described above, only the shut-off level may be provided without providing the warning level.

A signal from the flow sensor is monitored to determine whether the remaining amount counter has reached the first remaining amount warning level. If the remaining amount counter has reached the first remaining warning level, a warning notification process is performed. (Step S3).
Then, it is further determined whether or not the remaining amount counter has reached the second warning level (step S4), and if it has reached the second warning level, warning notification processing is performed (step S5).
Further, it is determined whether or not the remaining amount counter has reached the cutoff level (step S6), and if it has reached the cutoff level, a cutoff process is performed (step S7).

  In the above example, two warning levels are provided in addition to the shut-off level, but as described above, the number of warning notification processes differs depending on the number of warning levels. When the warning level is not set, only the determination of the blocking level and the execution of the blocking process in steps S6 to S7 are performed.

  In addition, the gas meter of FIG. 1 has the pressure sensor 12c, and monitors the pressure of the supply gas in a gas supply pipe. Here, when the pressure of the supply gas output from the pressure sensor 12c is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the microcomputer 10a determines whether there is a flow before and after that and generates a flow when the pressure drops. Depending on the state, it is possible to provide a function of performing a gas cutoff process. For example, when the flow rate exists within 2 minutes before the time point when the pressure drop to the specified value or less is determined, the gas shut-off process and the alarm notification process are executed when the pressure drops.

  The present invention automatically executes warning notification processing and shut-off processing based on the integrated flow rate value, but does not include not only a gas meter having a shut-off function at the time of the above-described pressure drop but also pressure detection means such as a pressure sensor. In the gas meter, great safety reliability can be imparted.

It is a figure which shows the structural example of the gas meter which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart for demonstrating an example of the process sequence of the warning display of the gas meter by this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Gas meter, 2 ... External device, 10 ... Control part, 10a ... Microcomputer (microcomputer), 10b ... Interface, 10c ... Battery, 10d ... Test interruption switch, 10e ... Container reset switch, 11 ... Weighing part, 11a ... Weighing Functions 12 ... sensor unit 12a ... battery voltage detection sensor 12b ... flow rate sensor 12c ... pressure sensor 12d ... shock sensor 13 ... display unit 13a ... integrated display function 13b ... security display function 14 ... block 14a ... bidirectional shutoff valve, 14b ... shutoff valve open switch, 15 ... terminal block, 21 ... home controller, 22 ... network control unit (NCU), 23 ... gas leak alarm, 24 ... external 1 device, 25 2 external devices, 26 data transmission means, 27 data reception means.

Claims (6)

A flow rate measuring means for measuring the flow rate of the gas supplied from the gas container; and a shutoff means for interrupting the supply of the gas from the gas container, and predetermined based on the flow rate measured by the flow rate measuring means. A gas meter that shuts off the gas supply by operating the shut-off means when a predetermined integrated flow rate flows ;
Flow rate integrating means for integrating the flow rate measured by the flow rate measuring means;
Means for calculating the remaining amount of gas in the gas container from the flow rate integrated by the flow rate integrating means and the capacity of the gas container;
A shut-off level holding means for holding in advance a shut-off level for operating the shut-off means,
The calculated remaining amount of gas in the gas container is compared with the cutoff level held in the cutoff level holding means, and the calculated residual amount of gas in the gas container is held in the cutoff level holding means. A gas meter characterized in that the gas supply is shut off by operating the shut-off means at a time corresponding to the shut-off level . The gas meter according to claim 1 , wherein
Alarm means for performing a predetermined alarm based on the flow rate measured by the flow rate measuring means;
Alarm value holding means for holding the integrated flow rate value for operating the alarm means in advance,
Comparing the integrated value of the flow rate integrating means with the alarm value held in the alarm value holding means, and when the flow rate used by the integrated value corresponds to the integrated flow value held in the alarm value holding means,
A gas meter which operates the alarm means to give a predetermined alarm. The gas meter according to claim 2 ,
A gas meter that performs a predetermined alarm by the alarm means during an interruption operation by the interruption means. The gas meter according to claim 2 or 3 ,
The predetermined alarm by the alarm means is executed by transmitting alarm information to an external device via a communication line and / or displaying alarm information by a display means provided in the gas meter. The gas meter according to claim 4 , wherein
The integrated flow rate value for operating the alarm means can be set at a plurality of levels. The gas meter according to any one of claims 1 to 5 ,
The gas meter is a gas meter having no pressure detecting means.

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