JP6590680B2 - Radio module for gas meter and gas meter - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a gas meter wireless module and a gas meter.

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, electronic gas meters that use a microcomputer to calculate a gas usage amount by integrating a flow rate detected by a flow rate sensor have become widespread. Furthermore, a system for performing remote management by transmitting information on the amount of gas used acquired by such an electronic gas meter to a remote management center via a wireless line or a telephone line is becoming widespread. In such a system, a gas meter wireless module such as a network control unit (NCU) for controlling communication with the management center side needs to be attached to the gas meter side. The gas meter radio module is attached to the gas meter by a stay provided in the case of the gas meter radio module, or is fixed to a gas pipe using a string or the like (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2001/082993 A

  However, if a female screw is formed on the front side of the gas meter in order to attach the gas meter wireless module, when the gas meter wireless module is not attached, the design of the male screw that is screwed to fill the hole is lacking in design. .

  An object of this invention is to provide the radio | wireless module for gas meters excellent in the design property.

  A wireless module for a gas meter according to a first aspect of the present invention is connected to a gas meter having a terminal block covered with a detachable terminal block cover in a state where the terminal block cover is removed, and wirelessly transmits data of the gas meter. A wireless module for a gas meter that transmits data, a case that can be attached to the gas meter in a state of covering a terminal block of the gas meter, and a surface that is opposite to the attachment surface of the case with the gas meter, A wireless board that is electrically connected to a terminal provided in a terminal block to acquire data of the gas meter, transmits the data as wireless data, a wireless board cover that covers the wireless board in combination with the case, It is characterized by providing.

  In said aspect, it is preferable that the adapter which has a general purpose attachment mechanism for attaching to attachment objects other than the said terminal block is exchangeable with the said case.

  In said aspect, it is preferable to have the general-purpose attachment mechanism for attaching to attachment objects other than the said terminal block, and to provide the attachment member which can be attached to the said case.

  In said aspect, it is preferable that packing is provided in at least one between the said case and the said gas meter, and between the said wireless board | substrate cover and the said case.

  In the above aspect, it is preferable that a packing is provided between the wireless board cover and the adapter.

  A gas meter according to a second aspect of the present invention includes any one of the above radio modules for a gas meter.

  A radio module for a gas meter according to a first aspect of the present invention is disposed on a case that can be attached to the gas meter in a state of covering the terminal block of the gas meter, and on the surface of the case opposite to the mounting surface of the gas meter. A wireless board that is electrically connected to a terminal provided to acquire data of the gas meter and transmits the data as wireless data, and a wireless board cover that covers the wireless board in combination with a case, A gas meter including a terminal block covered with a detachable terminal block cover is connected in a state where the terminal block cover is removed. With such a configuration, a gas meter wireless module can be provided in the gas meter instead of the terminal block cover that covers the terminal block of the gas meter. For this reason, a sense of unity with the gas meter is generated and the design is excellent.

It is the perspective view which showed the gas meter which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a disassembled perspective view of the radio module for gas meters with which the gas meter shown in FIG. 1 is provided. It is the figure which showed other embodiment of the radio module for gas meters shown in FIG. It is the figure which showed 2nd Embodiment of the said radio | wireless module for gas meters. It is a rear view of the radio module for gas meters shown in FIG. It is the figure which showed other embodiment of the radio | wireless module for gas meters shown in FIG.

[First Embodiment]
Hereinafter, a radio module for a gas meter and a gas meter according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a gas meter 1 including a gas meter wireless module 4 according to the present embodiment. The gas meter 1 is an electronic gas meter that uses a microcomputer to calculate a gas usage amount by integrating the flow rate detected by a flow rate sensor. As shown in FIG. 1, the gas meter 1 includes a front cover 2 that forms the front surface, a back cover 3 that forms the rear surface, and a wireless module 4 for the gas meter. The front cover 2 is fixed to the back cover 3 with screws 31, and the gas meter 1 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped box-shaped outer shape constituted by the front cover 2 and the back cover 3.

  In the following, for the sake of convenience, the front cover 2 side is the front and the back cover 3 side is the rear, the front-rear direction is defined, the front-rear direction is the X axis, the vertical direction is the Y axis, and the axis orthogonal to these is the Z axis. . The Z-axis direction corresponds to the width direction of the gas meter 1.

  On the upper surface of the back cover 3 (the upper surface of the gas meter 1), a cylindrical inflow port 11 and an outflow port 12 connected to respective gas pipes extending to the gas supply source side and the gas consumption side are provided. The gas flowing in from the inflow port 11 flows out to the outflow port 12 side through a flow path formed in the gas meter 1. A known flow rate sensor such as a micro flow sensor or an ultrasonic type is disposed in the middle of the flow path. The amount of gas used is calculated by a microcomputer built in the gas meter 1 based on the flow rate detected by the flow rate sensor. Further, when the gas flow rate is abnormal or the pressure is abnormal, the shutoff valve device built in the gas meter 1 is controlled by the microcomputer for safety, and the gas flow path is shut off.

  The front cover 2 includes a display unit 21 that displays the gas usage amount, safety information, and the like, a reset switch 22, an opening 24 that houses the terminal block 23, and a removable terminal block cover that covers the terminal block 23 (see FIG. (Not shown). The opening 24 is formed at a substantially central portion on the lower side of the front cover 2 and houses a terminal block 23 that is electrically connected to an electronic circuit (not shown) in the gas meter 1. The terminal block 23 is formed with a plurality of terminals 23 a arranged in the width direction.

  The arrangement unit 25 is a place where the gas meter wireless module 4 is provided. The disposition portion 25 is a lower surface from a substantially central portion in the vertical direction of the front cover 2, and the lower surface is formed to be recessed rearward from the upper surface. The arrangement part 25 is formed extending in the width direction. Two screw holes 26 are formed in the arrangement portion 25 on both sides in the width direction of the opening 24. When the gas meter wireless module 4 is not attached to the gas meter 1, the terminal block 23 is covered with a terminal block cover that can be attached to and detached from the arrangement portion 25, and the terminal block cover is inserted through the terminal block cover. The gas meter 1 is detachably provided by tightening the screw in the screw hole 26.

  FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the wireless module 4 for gas meter. The gas meter wireless module 4 is, for example, a short-distance communication type multi-stage relay radio device that relays (multi-stage relays) data such as the number of instructions of the gas meter via a plurality of gas meters. The gas meter radio module 4 is a radio that transmits the data as radio data by acquiring the data of the gas meter 1 by being electrically connected to the case 5 that can be attached to the gas meter 1 while covering the terminal block 23 and the terminal 23a. A substrate 6 and a cover 7 as a wireless substrate cover that covers and fixes the wireless substrate 6 in combination with the case 5 are provided.

  The case 5 includes a substantially square cylindrical tubular member 51 extending in the front-rear direction, and is made of, for example, a synthetic resin.

  The edge part 52 which forms the opening part (rear side opening part) by the side of the gas meter 1 of the cylindrical member 51 is formed along the surface of the arrangement | positioning part 25 to which it is attached. Thereby, the case 5 can be attached to the arrangement portion 25. Specifically, the side extending in the width direction of the edge portion 52 forming the opening on the gas meter 1 side is formed to be curved forward along the surface of the arrangement portion 25 of the front cover 2. . On the other hand, the side extending in the vertical direction in the edge 52 forming the opening on the gas meter 1 side is formed substantially parallel to the vertical direction.

  An edge 53 forming an opening (front opening) on the wireless board 6 side of the cylindrical member 51 is substantially rectangular in shape with a cross section extending in the width direction and in a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction. Is formed. In the tubular member 51, two screw holes 58 are formed on the inner side in the width direction of the edge portion 53 along the two edge portions 53 extending in the vertical direction. The cover 7 is attached to the case 5 by inserting an appropriate screw into a screw insertion hole 71 described later and tightening the screw into the screw hole 58.

  The tubular member 51 includes a partition plate 56 that partitions the inside of the tubular member 51 into a space in the front-rear direction. The partition plate 56 has an opening 57 formed at a substantially central portion, and the opening 57 is formed at a position corresponding to the opening 24 when the case 5 is attached to the arrangement portion 25. A gas meter 1 side (rear side) of the partition plate 56 forms an attachment surface 56a.

  Further, the surface of the partition plate 56 opposite to the mounting surface 56a forms an arrangement surface 56b. The wireless board 6 fixed to the cover 7 is disposed on the placement surface 56b. Further, the partition plate 56 is formed with screw insertion holes 59 for attaching the case 5 to the gas meter 1 on both sides of the opening 57 in the width direction. The screw insertion hole 59 is formed at a position corresponding to the screw hole 26 of the arrangement portion 25 when the case 5 is attached to the arrangement portion 25.

  The wireless board 6 includes a terminal block (not shown) having a terminal (not shown) electrically connected to the terminal 23a of the gas meter 1, and is fixed to the inner surface side of the case 7, The cylindrical member 51 is housed in a housing space formed by the end portion on the front side and the inner surface side of the cover 7. The terminal of the radio | wireless board | substrate 6 is electrically connected to the terminal 23a through the opening part 57 of the partition plate 56, for example with the electric wire. The wireless board 6 relays (multistage relay) data such as the number of instructions of the gas meter 1 through a plurality of gas meters. The wireless board 6 is formed with a screw insertion hole 61 for inserting a screw. The wireless board 6 is fixed to the cover 7 by inserting a screw through the screw insertion hole 61.

  The cover 7 is attached to the case 5 by fixing the wireless board 6 to the inner surface thereof and covering the wireless board 6. The end of the cover 7 is formed so as to correspond to the shape of the edge 53 of the case 5. A packing is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the cover 7 along the shape of the outer peripheral portion. When the cover 7 is attached, the packing is arranged between the cover 7 and the case 5. Thereby, it is hard to make a clearance gap between the case 5 and the cover 7, and it can suppress more effectively that rainwater etc. flow in from the said clearance gap. Two screw insertion holes 71 are formed in the cover 7 at a position overlapping with the screw hole 58 of the case 5 when combined with the case 5, and appropriate screws are inserted into the screw insertion holes 71, The cover 7 is attached to the case 5 by tightening in the screw hole 58. The cover 7 is made of, for example, a synthetic resin.

  Next, a method for assembling the gas meter wireless module 4 and a method for attaching the gas meter wireless module 4 to the gas meter 1 will be described. In advance, the wireless substrate 6 is fixed to the inner surface of the cover 7 by inserting a screw through the screw insertion hole 61. Next, one end of the electric wire is connected to the terminal 23a. Next, the case 5 is attached to the arrangement portion 25 so that the edge portion 52 is in contact with the arrangement portion 25, an appropriate screw is inserted into the insertion hole 59, and the screw is tightened in the screw hole 26. Thereby, the case 5 is attached to the gas meter 1. Next, an electric wire having one end connected to the terminal 23 a is inserted into the opening 57, and the other end is connected to a terminal of the wireless board 6 attached to the cover 7.

  Next, the cover 7 is arranged so that the screw insertion hole 71 of the cover 7 overlaps with the screw hole 58 of the case 5, the screw is inserted into the screw insertion hole 71, and the screw is tightened into the screw hole 58, whereby the cover 7 Is attached to the case 5. Thereby, the radio | wireless board | substrate 6 is accommodated in the said accommodation space in the state connected with the terminal 23a via the electric wire.

  The gas meter wireless module 4 according to the present embodiment covers the terminal block 23 of the gas meter 1 and covers the case 5 that can be attached to the arrangement portion 25 and the arrangement surface 56b. And a wireless board 6 that acquires the data of the gas meter 1 and transmits the data as wireless data, and a cover 7 that is combined with the case 5 and covers and fixes the wireless board 6. . With such a configuration, it can be attached to the gas meter 1 instead of the terminal block cover attached to the arrangement portion 25 of the gas meter 1. Therefore, there is a sense of unity with the gas meter 1 and the design is excellent.

  In addition, the gas meter wireless module 4 according to the present embodiment is configured such that when the terminals of the wireless substrate 6 disposed on the placement surface 56 b are electrically connected to the terminals 23 a of the terminal block 23, the wires and the like are opened in the partition plate 56. By passing the part 57, it is possible to connect at a short distance. Therefore, the wiring between the wireless board 6 and the terminal 23a is not easily complicated. Further, the wiring between the wireless board 6 and the terminal 23a does not appear outside the gas meter wireless module 4, and the wiring is not visually recognized from the outside. Therefore, the design is excellent.

  Further, the case 5 of the gas meter wireless module 4 according to the present embodiment is formed so that the cylindrical member 51 is along the surface of the arrangement portion 25. Thereby, the wireless module 4 for gas meters provided with the case 5 can be attached to the arrangement | positioning part 25, and a sense of unity with the gas meter 1 can be taken out.

  Further, packing is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the cover 7 of the gas meter wireless module 4 according to the present embodiment along the shape of the outer peripheral portion, and when the cover 7 is attached, between the cover 7 and the case 5. The packing is arranged. Thereby, it is hard to make a clearance gap between the case 5 and the cover 7, and it can suppress more effectively that rainwater etc. flow in from the said clearance gap.

  Moreover, you may provide a water stop member in the attachment surface 56a of the case 5 of the radio module 4 for gas meters which concerns on this embodiment so that the edge of the opening part 57 may be enclosed. With such a configuration, when the case 5 is attached to the gas meter 1, the water stop member fills the gap between the opening 57 of the case 5 and the arrangement portion 25, so that rainwater or the like flows into the opening 24. And the adhesion of water and dirt to the terminal block 23 can be suppressed.

  By the way, since the shape of the terminal block part of a gas meter is not common, there exists a gas meter which cannot apply the above-mentioned attachment method. The gas meter wireless module 4 of the present embodiment can use an adapter 8 that can be exchanged with the case 5 so as to be able to cope with the case where it is not attached to the terminal block portion. Therefore, the gas meter wireless module 4 may be sold or distributed as a set with the adapter 8 as an accessory. FIG. 3 shows another form of the wireless module 4 for gas meter using the adapter 8 instead of the case 5.

  The adapter 8 includes a substantially rectangular plate-like member 81 extending in the vertical direction, side wall portions 82 erected in the same direction from both ends in the width direction of the plate-like member 81, and both ends in the vertical direction of the plate-like member 81. An upper wall portion 84 and a lower wall portion 85 that are provided slightly closer to the inside and are erected in the same direction as the side wall portion 82 are provided. The side wall part 82, the upper wall part 84, and the lower wall part 85 are connected and provided together, and the plate-like member 81, the side wall part 82, the upper wall part 84, the lower wall part 85, The wireless substrate 6 is accommodated in the space formed by the above and fixed to the plate-like member 81. The lower wall 85 is formed with an insertion hole (not shown) for electrically connecting the terminal of the accommodated wireless board 6 and the terminal 23a of the gas meter 1, for example, inserting an electric wire or the like.

  A packing (not shown) is provided at the edge of the side wall 82, the upper wall 84, and the lower wall 85 (the tip on the side opposite to the plate-like member 81). A packing is arranged between the cover 7 and the adapter 8. Thereby, it is hard to make a clearance gap between case 5 and the adapter 8, and it can suppress more effectively that rainwater etc. flow in from the said clearance gap.

  Further, the upper wall portion 84 and the lower wall portion 85 are formed with protrusions (not shown) in the inner direction, and screw holes (not shown) are formed in the protrusions. The cover 7 is attached to the adapter 8 by passing an appropriate screw through the screw insertion hole 71 of the cover 7 and tightening it in the screw hole formed in the protrusion.

  The plate-like member 81 is formed with a recess 83 that is substantially in the center in the width direction and extends in the vertical direction. The recess 83 is formed to be curved on the surface side where the side wall portion 82 and the like are provided. The recess 83 is in conformity with, for example, the shape of a gas pipe connected to the gas meter 1. The plate-like member 81 has screw insertion holes 81a in the vicinity of the four corners. The recess 83 and the screw insertion hole 81a correspond to a general-purpose attachment mechanism, and can be attached to an attachment object (gas piping, wall surface, etc.) other than the terminal block portion of the gas meter 1 by the general-purpose attachment mechanism.

  When the adapter 8 is used instead of the case 5 of the gas meter wireless module 4 according to the present embodiment, the adapter 8 has a general-purpose mounting mechanism. It can be attached to an attachment object. Specifically, the adapter 8 is formed with a depression 83 conforming to the shape of the pipe in the plate-like member 81. Therefore, the depression 83 can be arranged along, for example, a pipe as an attachment target object. it can. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 3, it can fix stably on the piping P. As shown in FIG. In addition, fixation to piping can be performed by the normal fixing method known conventionally. For example, fixing to piping with a string-like member etc. is mentioned.

  Furthermore, it is also possible to fix to a wall etc. using the screw insertion hole 81a of the plate-like member 81. Further, it is also possible to hang a pipe or the like through a string member through the screw insertion hole 81a. Examples of the general-purpose mounting mechanism include a mounting bracket used for fixing to a furniture column, a stay, and the like.

[Second Embodiment]
A gas meter wireless module 4A and a gas meter 1A according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The shapes of the wireless module for gas meter 4A and the gas meter 1A according to this embodiment are different from those of the first embodiment. 4 to 6, the same reference numerals are given to the same components as those of the first embodiment described above. In addition, description is abbreviate | omitted regarding the same structure, operation | movement, and effect as the said 1st Embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the gas meter 1 </ b> A includes a substantially trapezoidal columnar casing 2 </ b> A, and a cylindrical inlet 11 and outlet 12 on the upper surface 27 of the casing 2 </ b> A. An opening 24 and an arrangement portion 25 are formed on one side surface 28 of the housing portion 2A. A terminal block 23 (not shown) is accommodated in the arrangement portion 25. In addition, two screw holes 26 are formed in the arrangement portion 25 on both sides in the width direction of the opening 24.

  The gas meter radio module 4A includes a case 9, a radio board 6, and a cover 7A. The case 9 includes a substantially square plate-shaped member 91 and a holding member 92 that forms a space between the plate-shaped member 91 and covers a part of one surface of the plate-shaped member 91. FIG. 5 is a rear view of the case 9. The surface of the plate-like member 91 on the holding member 92 side forms a fixed surface 93, the opposite surface forms an attachment surface 94, and is attached to the gas meter 1 </ b> A so that the attachment surface 94 is in contact with the placement portion 25. The case 9 can be attached to the arrangement portion 25 of the gas meter 1 </ b> A so as to cover the terminal block 23. The plate-like member 91 and the holding member 92 are attached by a known method such as screwing.

  The plate-like member 91 is formed with a screw insertion hole 91a, and the holding member 92 is formed with a screw insertion hole 92a. The screw insertion hole 91a and the screw insertion hole 92a are formed to overlap when the plate-like member 91 and the holding member 92 are combined. The gas meter wireless module 4A is attached to the gas meter 1A by passing the screw through the screw insertion hole 91a and the screw insertion hole 92a and tightening the screw into the screw hole 26. A through hole 95 through which the electric wire C passes is formed at the lower end of the plate-like member 91.

  The wireless board 6 is accommodated in a space formed between the plate-like member 91 and the holding member 92 so that the terminal block 62 of the wireless board 6 is exposed, and is fixed to the fixing surface 93. A terminal of the terminal block 62 is electrically connected to a terminal (not shown) of the terminal block 23 of the gas meter 1A by an electric wire C. At this time, the electric wire C connected to the wireless substrate 6 passes through the through hole 95 and is connected to the terminal of the terminal block 23 of the gas meter 1A.

  The cover 7A is combined with the case 9 so as to cover the wireless board 6, and is combined with the plate-like member 91 and the holding member 92 so as to cover the terminal block 62 where the wireless board 6 is exposed. A packing (not shown) is provided at the end of the cover 7A that contacts the holding member 92 and the plate-like member 91. The cover 7A is attached to the case 9 by a known method such as screwing.

  Next, a method for assembling the gas meter wireless module 4A and a method for attaching the gas meter wireless module 4A to the gas meter 1A will be described. First, the wireless board 6 is sandwiched between the plate member 91 and the holding member 92 and fixed to the fixing surface 93, and the plate member 91 and the holding member 92 are combined by a known method such as screwing. Next, the cover 7A is attached to the case 9 by a known method such as screwing. Thereby, the assembly of the gas module wireless module 4A is completed.

  Next, the gas meter wireless module 4A is attached to the arrangement portion 25 so that the attachment surface 94 is in contact with the arrangement portion 25, the screw is passed through the screw insertion hole 91a and the screw insertion hole 92a, and the screw is tightened in the screw hole 26. And attach to the gas meter 1A. In addition, the terminal of the terminal block 23 of the gas meter 1A and the terminal of the terminal block 62 of the wireless board 6 are connected by the electric wire C before mounting the wireless module for gas meter 4A to the gas meter 1A. The electric wire C is housed in the opening 24 between the gas meter wireless module 4A and the gas meter 1A.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6, the gas meter wireless module 4 </ b> A according to the present embodiment can include an attachment member 96 having a general attachment mechanism that can be attached to the case 9. The attachment member 96 includes a fixing portion 97 that is a plate-like member attached to the attachment surface of the plate-like member 91, and an attachment portion 98 that protrudes from an upper end portion of the fixing portion 97. The fixing portion 97 is attached to the attachment surface 94 of the plate-like member 91 by a known method such as screwing. The attachment portion 98 is formed with a through-hole 98a as a general-purpose attachment mechanism. By this general-purpose attachment mechanism, it is possible to attach to an attachment object (gas piping, wall surface, etc.) other than the terminal block portion of the gas meter 1A. Further, the attachment object other than the terminal block portion includes a terminal block portion of a gas meter other than the gas meter 1A. Examples of the mounting member 96 include a mounting bracket used for fixing to a furniture column, a stay, and the like.

  The wireless module for gas meter 4A according to the present embodiment can be attached to a wall other than the gas meter 1A by screwing or the like, for example, by attaching the attachment member 96.

  In addition, embodiment mentioned above only showed the typical form of this invention, and this invention is not limited to the said embodiment. That is, those skilled in the art can implement various modifications in accordance with conventionally known knowledge without departing from the scope of the present invention. Of course, such modifications are included in the scope of the present invention as long as they have the configuration of the wireless module for gas meter and the gas meter of the present invention.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the outer peripheral portion of the cover 7 is configured to be provided with packing. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a configuration in which no packing is provided may be employed. Further, the packing may be provided on the edge 53 of the case 5. Further, similarly, the cover 7A may not be provided with a packing, and may be provided on the case 9.

  Moreover, in the said 1st Embodiment, although it was set as the structure connected with the electric wire, the terminal 23a of the terminal block 23 and the radio | wireless board | substrate 6, However, if it can electrically connect, it will not be limited to this.

1,1A gas meter 23 terminal block 23a terminal 4 wireless module for gas meter 5,9 case 56a, 94 mounting surface 56b fixed surface (surface opposite to mounting surface)
6 Wireless board 6
7,7A cover (wireless circuit board cover)
8 Adapter 96 Mounting member 81a Screw insertion hole (General-purpose mounting mechanism)
83 Indentation (General-purpose mounting mechanism)
98a Through hole (General-purpose mounting mechanism)

Claims (6)

A gas meter wireless module connected to a gas meter including a terminal block covered with a detachable terminal block cover in a state where the terminal block cover is removed, and transmitting data of the gas meter as wireless data,
A case attachable to the gas meter in a state of covering the terminal block of the gas meter;
The case is disposed on a surface opposite to the mounting surface of the case with the gas meter, and is electrically connected to a terminal provided on the terminal block to acquire data of the gas meter, and transmits the data as wireless data. A wireless board;
A wireless board cover that covers the wireless board in combination with the case;
A wireless module for a gas meter, comprising:   The wireless module for a gas meter according to claim 1, wherein an adapter having a general-purpose attachment mechanism for attaching to an attachment object other than the terminal block is replaceable with the case.   The radio module for a gas meter according to claim 1, further comprising a general-purpose attachment mechanism for attaching to an attachment object other than the terminal block, and an attachment member attachable to the case.   The wireless module for a gas meter according to claim 1 or 3, wherein packing is provided at least one of between the case and the gas meter and between the wireless substrate cover and the case.   The gas module radio module according to claim 2, wherein a packing is provided between the radio board cover and the adapter.   A gas meter comprising the wireless module for a gas meter according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

Images