JP5480853B2 - External device connection structure of microcomputer type gas meter - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a structure for connecting an external device to a microcomputer type gas meter.

  In addition to the communication terminal for connecting the NCU (signal transmission device) and the alarm terminal for connecting the gas leak alarm, the conventional microcomputer type gas meter always has two terminals for connecting external equipment, so-called external terminals. (Patent Document 1).

  One of the external terminals is for connecting a detector that detects a condition for driving the shut-off valve. Specifically, it is a connection terminal for connecting an incomplete combustion alarm device (CO alarm device or another gas leak alarm device), and an input signal from this connection terminal is processed by a microcomputer so that a shut-off valve is connected. Used to automatically close. The other is for connecting the connection terminal of the transmitter of the automatic switching regulator with a transmitter. An input signal from this connection terminal is processed by a microcomputer and used to output a pattern signal designated as a communication terminal.

  The automatic switching adjuster with a transmitter is used when two gas cylinders are used. More specifically, two gas cylinders may be used to supply gas to the gas appliance. In this case, after connecting two gas cylinders with an automatic switching regulator with a transmitter, piping is performed so that gas can be supplied from the automatic switching regulator to the gas appliance. One gas cylinder is for current use and the other is spare. At first, gas is supplied from the gas cylinder for use. However, when the amount of stored gas decreases, the automatic switching regulator functions to supply gas also from the spare gas cylinder. At this time, the current state signal is output from the transmitter and is taken into the microcomputer type gas meter via the external terminal. A pattern signal indicating that the amount of gas stored in the gas cylinder is decreasing is output from the microcomputer type gas meter, and is taken into the remote centralized monitoring center from the communication terminal via the NCU. In the centralized monitoring center, from this pattern signal, it is possible to grasp which installation gas cylinder should be replaced.

JP 2000-81348 A

  Thus, the microcomputer type gas meter always has two external terminals, and the external device connected to each external terminal has been specified.

  However, the number of external terminals has become a problem in reducing the size of microcomputer-type gas meters. The two external terminals are not necessarily used, but are necessary as a function of the microcomputer type gas meter. Therefore, it is usually not possible to leave only one of the external terminals and eliminate the subsequent one of the external terminals.

  The present invention has been created based on the above situation, and an object of the present invention is to make it possible to use any external device while using only one external terminal.

  In addition to a communication terminal that can connect an NCU and an alarm terminal that can connect a gas leak alarm, the present invention includes external terminals that can connect an incomplete combustion alarm and an automatic switching regulator with a transmitter. It is assumed that the microcomputer is set to specify a device that can be connected to the microcomputer, and that the external device connection structure of the microcomputer type gas meter that processes the signal input from each terminal by the microcomputer is assumed.

  In the present invention, only one external terminal is provided, and the setting of the microcomputer that identifies the equipment that can be connected to the external terminal is set to either the incomplete combustion alarm or the automatic switching regulator with a transmitter. Also, the setting can be changed.

There is no necessity to display on the display of the microcomputer type gas meter whether the external device that can be connected to the external terminal is currently an incomplete combustion alarm or an automatic switching adjuster with a transmitter. However, when an external device is connected, it is preferable for the operator that the display is made.
That is, it is desirable to display whether the external device that can be connected to the external terminal is set to the incomplete combustion alarm device or the automatic switching regulator with a transmitter on the display device that displays the gas usage amount.

  According to the present invention, since only one external terminal has been considered to be necessary until now, the microcomputer type gas meter can be miniaturized.

  In addition, if a device that can be connected to the external terminal is displayed on the display unit, work efficiency when connecting the external device is improved.

It is a circuit diagram which shows the microcomputer type gas meter of this invention. It is a front view which shows the state which removed the lid | cover for terminal attachment of a microcomputer type gas meter. (A) and (b) are explanatory diagrams showing connectable external devices as display states of the display. (A) and (B) are a front view and a plan view of a microcomputer type gas meter.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the microcomputer type gas meter 10 has a gas inlet 12 and a gas outlet 13 protruding from the outside of a gas meter main body 11 as a casing. A gas flow path connecting the gas inlet 12 and the gas outlet 13 is formed inside the gas meter main body 11.

  Various parts are housed in the gas meter main body 11 as shown in FIG. A shutoff valve 21 that shuts off the gas flow path, an ultrasonic sensor 22 that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves traveling in the gas flow path, a pressure sensor 23 that senses pressure in the gas flow path, and a shutoff valve 21 and an ultrasonic sensor 22 A controller 30 for connecting the pressure sensor 23 is provided.

  The controller 30 includes a microcomputer 31 that executes a preset program. Various kinds of information are displayed on an LCD 32 (liquid crystal display) as a display connected to the microcomputer 31. The above-described ultrasonic sensor 22 and pressure sensor 23 are connected to the microcomputer 31 via an interface circuit 33. The shutoff valve 21 is connected to the interface circuit 33 with a shutoff valve drive circuit 34 interposed. Furthermore, a seismic device 35, a container reset switch 36, a test shutoff switch 37, a shutoff valve return switch 38, and a battery 39 are connected to the interface circuit 33.

  The interface circuit 33 is connected to a communication terminal 41, an alarm terminal 42, and an external terminal 43 for external equipment one by one. These terminals are provided such that the + side and the − side are paired. In addition to the + side and the − side, the communication terminal 41 is also connected to terminals of a frame ground FG and a ground G. Incidentally, as shown in FIG. 4, a cover 14 is detachably screwed to the lower front portion of the gas meter main body 11. When this cover 14 is removed, a recessed terminal accommodating space 15 appears as shown in FIG. 2, and in this terminal accommodating space 15, the communication terminal 41 for these NCUs, the alarm terminal 42 for the gas leak alarm, and the external device are used. The external terminals 43 are mounted on the terminal block 16 and accommodated. The terminals of each device are connected to the terminals on the terminal block 16 using screws (not shown).

  A support plate 17 is provided on the lower side of the terminal block 16 and a bottom wall 18 is provided on the lower side with a space therebetween. Through holes 17a and 18a for each terminal are formed in the support plate 17 and the bottom plate, and cylindrical bushes (not shown) are fitted into the through holes 17a and 18a. By connecting the terminals after passing the wiring of each device through the bush, intrusion of rainwater or the like into the terminal accommodating space 15 is prevented.

Settings for specifying the devices that can be connected to the respective terminals are stored in the memory of the microcomputer 31. Moreover, the external terminal 43 for external devices can be connected to any terminal of the incomplete combustion alarm (CO alarm) and the automatic switching regulator with a transmitter. Therefore, a part of the program executed by the microcomputer 31 can be changed to a setting corresponding to the external device connected to the external terminal 43.
Specifically, not the NCU but a setting device (not shown) is connected to the communication terminal 41, and an input signal handled by the operator from the setting device at the external terminal 43 is output from an external device connected to the external terminal 43. The setting is changed by overwriting the memory in the microcomputer 31 so as to change to a format corresponding to.

  Then, an external device that can be connected to the external terminal 43 is displayed on the LCD 32 so that the operator can grasp it. For example, as shown in FIG. 3A, when one of the two specified external devices can be connected to the current external terminal 43 (when the external terminal 43 is used as the external 1). When the remaining one external device can be connected as shown in FIG. 3B without dedicated display on the liquid crystal display unit (when the external terminal 43 is used as the external 2), the LCD A special display “Outside 2” is displayed.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the display on the LCD 32 is “outside 1”, “outside 2” when the incomplete combustion alarm can be connected to the external terminal 43 and when the automatic switching adjuster with a transmitter can be connected. May be clearly displayed.

10 microcomputer type gas meter 11 gas meter main body 12 gas inlet 13 gas outlet 14 cover 15 terminal accommodating space 16 terminal block 17 support plate 17a through hole 18 bottom wall 18a through hole 21 shutoff valve 22 ultrasonic sensor 23 pressure sensor 30 controller 31 microcomputer 32LCD
33 interface circuit 34 shut-off valve drive circuit 35 seismic device 36 container reset switch 37 test shut-off switch 38 shut-off valve return switch 39 battery 41 communication terminal 42 alarm terminal 43 external terminal FG frame ground G ground

Claims (2)

In addition to the communication terminal that can connect the NCU and the alarm terminal that can connect the gas leak alarm device, it has external terminals that can connect the incomplete combustion alarm device and the automatic switching regulator with transmitter, and can be connected to each terminal. The setting for specifying the device is made in the microcomputer, and in the external device connection structure of the microcomputer type gas meter that processes the signal input from each terminal by the microcomputer,
There is only one external terminal, and the setting of the microcomputer that identifies the equipment that can be connected to the external terminal can be changed for both the incomplete combustion alarm and the automatic switching regulator with a transmitter. External device connection structure of microcomputer type gas meter characterized by this.   2. The display device for displaying the amount of gas used displays whether an external device that can be connected to an external terminal is set to an incomplete combustion alarm device or an automatic switching regulator with a transmitter. External device connection structure of the microcomputer type gas meter described in 1.

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