JPH064794A - Meter inspecting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To omit reading switch on the meter inspecting device and to unnecessitate the operation of depressing the reading switch at the time of meter inspection. CONSTITUTION:A terminal 6 which is connected to a water meter through a cable incorporates a magnet 9. A meter inspecting device 1 is provided with a reed switch 7 responding to the magnet 9, which is inserted into the power circuit of the meter inspecting device 1. As shown in the illustration, when the meter inspecting device 1 is set opposite to the terminal 6, the reed switch 7 is closed and the power of the meter inspecting device 1 is applied. Then, the circuit of the meter inspecting device 1 is operated to display the meter inspecting value of the water meter through the optical communication between photoelectric elements 8 and 10 on a reading display section 3.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improvement of a meter-reading device for reading a pointer value of a water meter or the like by optical communication.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A needle detector 1 of this type is provided with a display section 3 and a reading switch 4 on the front side of a case 2, as shown in FIG.
A photoelectric element for optical communication was provided on the rear side of the case 2.

A meter 5 such as a water meter is connected by a cable 5 to a repeater (hereinafter referred to as a terminal) 7 mounted on the wall of a house 6 as shown in FIG. In order to read the pointer value of the water meter 5 with the meter 1 and read the meter, the photoelectric element on the back side of the meter 1 is set to oppose the photoelectric element for optical communication provided on the front surface (right side in the drawing) of the terminal 7. At this time, an operator holds the case of the meter reading device 1 by hand, sets it at the facing position, and operates the reading switch 4 to read the meter.

When the reading switch 4 is pressed, the power switch of the meter 1 is turned on, the meter 1 starts to operate, and the pointer value of the water meter 5 is read through the photoelectric element of the terminal 6 by optical communication. To complete.

Arrow A in FIG. 3 indicates bidirectional communication by optical communication.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the above conventional technique,
It is troublesome because the operator operates the reading switch 4 of the meter 1 after setting the meter 1 in the terminal 6. In particular, it is difficult to wear gloves and press the small reading switch 4 in cold regions.

Since the reading switch is pushed every time the meter is read,
Since the read switch has a short life, it has been necessary to improve its reliability. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a meter reading device that can automatically read the pointer value of a meter simply by eliminating the reading switch of the meter and setting the meter to face the terminal.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the meter-reading device of the present invention has a photoelectric detector provided in each of the meter-reading device and the terminal in a state where the meter-reading device is set at a predetermined facing position with respect to the terminal. In a system that performs optical communication through an element and reads the pointer value of a meter connected to the terminal with a cable, when the magnet built in the terminal and the meter detector are set at the predetermined facing position with respect to the terminal, the terminal And a magnetic sensor built into the meter to detect the magnetic field of the magnet and turn on the power of the meter, and the magnetic sensor is configured to start reading the pointer value.

[0009]

When the operator holds the meter by hand and sets it at a predetermined opposed position to the terminal, the magnetic sensor of the meter senses the magnet of the terminal and turns on the power of the meter.

Then, the needle detector starts to operate, and the pointer value of the meter is read by the optical communication by the photoelectric element between the needle detector and the terminal.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the embodiment of FIG. 1, 1 is a needle detector, which has a reed switch as a magnetic sensor 7 and a photoelectric element 8 for optical communication built in near the back side of the case 2. Reference numeral 3 is a display unit provided on the front surface of the case 2.

The reed switch 7 is inserted in the power supply circuit of the meter reading device 1. When the reed switch 7 is closed, the power of the meter reading device 1 is turned on and a well-known meter reading circuit (not shown) is activated. The meter reading value is read, but a well-known meter reading circuit inside the meter is not shown.

Reference numeral 6 is a terminal, and a magnet 9 is provided near its front surface.
And the photoelectric element 10 are built in, and as shown in the drawing, the meter 1
Is set at a predetermined facing position with respect to the terminal 6, the reed switch 7 faces the magnet 9, and the photoelectric element 8
And 10 are positioned so that they face each other.

The internal structure of the terminal 6 is the same as in the prior art except that the magnet 9 is newly added and the other electronic circuits including the photoelectric element 10 are the same as those in the prior art. Therefore, illustration of these electronic circuits is omitted. There is.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, when the operator holds the needle detector 1 by hand and puts it in the predetermined position so as to face the terminal 6, the reed switch 7 is closed in response to the magnet 9 and the needle detector is closed. Turn on the power of 1.

Then, the meter-reading circuit of the meter-reading device 1 is activated, signals are exchanged between the photoelectric elements 8 and 10 by optical communication, and the pointer value of the meter is read and displayed on the display unit 3. In the meter reading operation, when the power of the meter 1 is turned on by the reed switch 7, the photoelectric element 8 as the first optical signal transmitting / receiving element transmits a communication start signal, and the signal is the second optical signal transmitting / receiving element. After the photoelectric element 10 receives the signal, the photoelectric element 10, which is the second optical signal transmitting / receiving element, is transferred to the first optical signal transmitting / receiving element 8
Although the integrated value information of the meter 5 and the like are transmitted, such bidirectional communication using light is the same as a known communication method.

[0017]

The meter-reading device of the present invention is configured as described above, does not include the conventional push-button type reading switch (4), and can be automatically set only by setting the meter-reading device at a predetermined opposed position to the terminal. Since the meter reading operation for automatically reading the pointer value of the meter is started, the operation is simple and easy, and there is no concern about the reliability of the reading switch.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic vertical sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a conventional needle detector.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a meter reading system including a meter.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Meter Detector 5 Meter (Water Meter) 6 Terminal 7 Magnetic Sensor (Reed Switch) 8, 10 Photoelectric Element 9 Magnet

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A pointer of a meter connected to a terminal by a cable, which performs optical communication through a photoelectric element provided in each of the meter and the terminal while the meter is set at a predetermined facing position with respect to the terminal. In a value reading system, a magnet built in the terminal and a meter to turn on the power of the meter by detecting the magnetic field of the magnet of the terminal when the meter is set at the predetermined facing position with respect to the terminal. And a magnetic sensor built into the
A meter reading device configured to start reading the pointer value of a meter by a magnetic sensor.