JPH07190813A - Gas meter with safety function - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To avoid shutting of a flow of gas by an excess of a maximum flow rate or by an excess of time beyond a safe continuous time when an instrumental error is measured or at an aging time, by providing a function to free a flow rate mask mode without closing a shutting valve when a test switch is manipulated. CONSTITUTION:The gas meter is equipped with a function for releasing a flow rate mask mode which is set when a number is set thereby to avoid a shutting function based on a flow rate and is released without closing a shutting valve when a test switch is manipulated while the flow rate mask mode is set. The function is executed by a microcomputer controlling the shutting valve to effect a safety function. After the flow rate mask mode and an earthquake sensitivity/ pressure mask mode are set women a number is set, an instrumental error is measured. The flow rate mask mode is released by manipulating the test switch, and only the earthquake sensitivity/pressure mask mode is set. Or, the earthquake sensitivity/pressure mask mode is set by a setting device.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a gas meter with a safety function which is a fluid vibration type flow meter having a so-called security function.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A microcomputer is installed to constantly monitor the flow of gas and shut off the gas by closing the built-in shutoff valve when the abnormal flow rate due to abnormal use of gas or the safe continuous use time is exceeded. A gas meter with a safety function is known.

This gas meter with a safety function has a built-in seismoscope for detecting a large earthquake and a pressure sensor that operates when the gas supply pressure drops below a certain level, and can detect a large earthquake or a gas supply pressure. At the time of abnormal decrease, the shutoff valve is closed according to the signal from the seismic sensor or the pressure sensor.

In order to restart the gas supply by opening the shut-off valve from the state where the shut-off valve is closed to shut off the gas, the return button provided on the front face of the gas meter is manually opened to open the gas for a certain time. Does not flow, that is, if it is confirmed that there is no gas leakage downstream of the gas meter,
The structure is such that the shutoff valve can return to the open state.

A test switch (reed switch) is provided on the front surface of the gas meter, and the test switch is actuated so that the test valve can be closed by a test. The signal of the test switch is input to the microcomputer.

In this type of gas meter with a safety function, a judgment program determined by the capacity of the gas meter is stored in advance in order to judge abnormal use of gas by the microcomputer. Therefore, at the final stage of the manufacturing process of the gas meter, a work called number setting is performed to set constants (various set values) according to the number of the gas meter. To set the number, use a setter. I am doing it.

Further, in a gas meter with a safety function having a so-called communication function capable of automatic meter reading through a telephone line or the like,
It has a structure that the number of gas meters can be set from a meter reading center via a communication line such as a telephone line.

[0008] By the way, such a gas meter with a safety function is required to set a serial number after completion of assembly in a manufacturing factory, to perform a flow rate test in a manufacturing process after setting the serial number,
Various operation modes are prepared in consideration of situations such as subsequent storage, and the corresponding mode is selected and used each time.

These modes are No. 0 mode, seismic / pressure mask mode, sleep mode, and normal mode.
Seeds are prepared. The No. 0 mode is a state in which the number is set after the power is turned on or reset, and a cutoff signal is issued every time a flow rate pulse enters to close the cutoff valve. When the cutoff valve is closed, gas does not flow.

The seismic / pressure mask mode is a seismic sensitive device or a pressure sensor when a flow rate test is performed in the manufacturing process in a state from setting the number to shutting off the seismic or pressure blocking. This is a mode to improve the work efficiency by avoiding the interruption in. This mode is released when the shutoff valve shuts off.

The sleep mode is a mode in which the security function is killed in order to suppress the consumption of the battery during storage before shipment, and the sleep mode is cut off only when a flow rate pulse enters. Also used for. This also ensures that gas cannot be used until a resident moves into the customer.

The normal mode is a mode in which the security function is normally used when the resident uses gas.

[0013]

In the process of manufacturing a gas meter with a safety function having a security function with a fluid vibration flow meter, it is necessary to flow a fluid through the gas meter and measure the instrumental difference.

To measure the instrumental difference of the fluid vibration flowmeter, a sonic nozzle as a constant flow rate generator is connected to the downstream side of the gas meter, and a negative pressure source is pulled from the downstream side to flow the fluid. Does not have a positive pressure corresponding to the gas supply pressure. Therefore, the pressure sensor operates and the shutoff valve closes. In this case, the instrumental difference cannot be measured. Therefore, when measuring the instrumental error, the seismic / pressure mask mode is set to avoid interruption by the pressure sensor.

However, at the time of measuring the instrumental error, there are some flow points at which the maximum flow rate of the number exceeds the maximum flow rate depending on the number of the gas meter. During the measurement at this flow point, so-called flow rate cutoff occurs after a certain period of time, and the release The seismic / pressure mask mode, which should not be done, is canceled.

In this case, in order to restart the instrumental error measurement, it is necessary to take out the electronic circuit, reset it, and reset it to the released mode, which is troublesome. Also,
There was an inconvenience that it took a long time to recover and confirm the leakage.

If the finished gas meter is aged at a constant flow rate, the safety continuous use time will be exceeded, and so-called safe continuous use time cutoff (a kind of flow cutoff) will occur. Therefore, it is necessary to change the flow rate so as to avoid this interruption, or to install equipment for changing the flow rate, which is a problem from the aspect of equipment cost.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a gas meter with a safety function that does not release the seismic / pressure mask mode during instrumental error measurement or cut off the safe continuous use time during aging. .

[0019]

In order to achieve the above object, a first invention is equipped with a shut-off valve for stopping gas supply in the event of an abnormality, and a microcomputer for controlling the shut-off valve, and various set values according to the number. A fluid vibration gas meter that has a seismic / pressure mask mode that is set when the number is set and that is released by a seismic interruption or interruption other than pressure interruption, and a test switch that can be operated from outside the meter. When the test switch is operated while the flow mask mode is set to the flow mask mode for avoiding the cutoff function by the flow rate and the cutoff valve is closed, the flow mask mode is set without closing the cutoff valve. A gas meter with a safety function, which is provided with a function of releasing the gas meter.

In a second aspect based on the first aspect, the flow rate mask mode is canceled by communication. In the third invention, in the first or second invention, all the flags for confirming the mask mode are put in three places, and if any one of them is different, it is released.

[0021]

[Function] Since the flow rate mask mode and the seismic / pressure mask mode are set when the number is set, the flow rate interruption can be avoided even if the maximum flow rate is exceeded during the subsequent instrument difference measurement work. . Also, during aging, even if the safe continuous usage time is exceeded at a constant flow rate, flow rate interruption is avoided.

When the test switch is operated while the flow rate mask mode and the seismic / pressure mask mode are set, the flow rate mask mode is released without closing the shutoff valve. At this time, the shutoff valve does not close, so the seismic / pressure mask mode is not released.

Therefore, the operation of the test switch at this time does not cause so-called test interruption. Second
In the above invention, the flow rate mask mode can be canceled by communication.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, even if the mask mode flag is raised due to noise or the like during use, the safety mode can be obtained by checking the flag in three places.

[0025]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The interruption flow in FIG. 1 and the return flow in FIG. 2 will be described. However, these flow charts do not include the flow of return operation and various setting communication.

Further, the gas meter with a safety function in this embodiment is a fluid vibration flow meter, and is provided with the No. 0 mode, seismic / pressure mask mode, sleep mode, normal mode, test switch, etc. This point is the same as the conventional technique.

In addition to this conventional technique, the flow rate mask mode is set when the number is set and avoids the cutoff function by the flow rate, and the test switch is operated when the flow rate mask mode is set. And a function of canceling the flow rate mask mode without closing the shutoff valve. These functions are performed by the microcomputer that controls the shutoff valve to fulfill the security function.

The flow rate mask mode is configured to be canceled by communication. Further, all the flags for confirming the mask mode are put in three places, and if any one is different, it is released.

Then, when the power is carried in or reset,
No. 0 mode is set. Next, set the flow rate mask mode and seismic / pressure mask mode when setting the number. Here, the instrumental error performance of the gas meter is measured.

The flow rate mask mode is released by the operation of the test switch and becomes only the seismic / pressure mask mode. Also, the seismic / pressure mask mode is set by the setting device. Further, the operation of the test switch here releases the flow rate mask mode but does not shift to the sleep mode. Further, even when the recovery operation is performed, only the recovery display for 2.6 seconds is displayed, and the recovery leakage check is not performed.
By this, it is possible to confirm that the mode has been changed, and the waiting time of 2 minutes is eliminated.

The mode can be set by the setting device to any of the flow rate mask mode, the seismic / pressure mask mode, the seismic / pressure mask mode, and the normal mode. Next, the flow of FIG. 1 will be described.

The 0 mode is set by turning on the power or resetting. Step 1: Set the number to initialize various setting values.
Release the No. 0 mode and set to flow mask mode and seismic / pressure mask mode.

Step 2: It is judged whether a flow rate pulse is detected. If YES, then go to step 3; if NO, go to step 6. Step 3: Judge whether there is a number (whether the number is set). If YES, then go to step 4, and if NO, go to step 17.

Step 4: It is judged whether it is the flow rate mask mode. If YES, go to step 6, and if NO, go to step 5. Step 5: The flow rate pulse is integrated and the flow rate cutoff is judged. Go to step 6.

Step 6: It is judged whether there is an operation of the vibration sensor or the pressure sensor. If YES, go to step 7, NO
If so, go to step 9. Step 7: Determine whether it is seismic / pressure mask mode. YE
If S, go to step 9, and if NO, go to step 8.

Step 8: The interruption is judged, and the process proceeds to Step 9. Step 9: It is judged whether or not the judgment is interruption. If YES, the process moves to step 10, and if NO, the process returns to step 2.

Step 10: Determine whether the test switch is ON. If YES, go to step 11, and if NO, go to step 13. Step 11: Determine whether the flow rate mask mode. If YES, go to Step 12, and if NO, go to Step 14.

Step 12: Release the flow rate mask mode and move to step 16. Step 13: Determine whether the flow rate mask mode. If yes, go to step 16; if no, go to step 15
Move on to.

Step 14: Set 40 second timer,
When time is up, move to step 15. Step 15: Release the seismic / pressure mask mode and move to step 16.

Step 16: Shut off the shutoff valve and return to step 2. Next, the return flow of FIG. 2 will be described. Step 101: The LED is turned on for 2.6 seconds in response to the return operation signal. Go to step 102.

Step 102: It is judged whether the vibration / pressure mask mode is selected. If YES, the return flow ends. If NO, the process moves to step 103. Step 103: LED blinking set, return leak confirmation set, and the return flow ends.

[0042]

Since the gas meter with safety function of the present invention is constructed as described above, it is possible to avoid flow rate cutoff due to excess of the maximum flow rate during instrumental error measurement or aging, or overflow of the safe continuous use time. As described above, there is no risk of inadvertently interrupting instrumental error measurement or aging work. Moreover, the flow rate mask mode can be easily released by operating the test switch or communicating.

Therefore, the working efficiency of instrumental error measurement and aging is improved. Further, in order to avoid flow rate interruption during aging, it is not necessary to purposely change the flow rate, and the facility cost for aging can be reduced.

Furthermore, since there is no interruption of work during instrumental error measurement, reliable data collection is possible and the reliability of the gas meter is improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 None

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Kazumi Onui 9-10, Misonodai, Fujisawa City, Kanagawa Prefecture (72) Inventor Shigenori Okamura 4-1-2 1-2 Hiranocho, Chuo-ku, Osaka City Osaka Gas Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Yukio Kimura 507-2 Shintakaracho, Tokai City, Aichi Prefecture, Toho Gas Co., Ltd., Research Institute of Technology (72) Inventor Tomio Ueno, 1-270, Sennaku, Atsuta-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture Aichi Clock Electric Co., Ltd. Within

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A shut-off valve for stopping gas supply in the event of an abnormality and a microcomputer for controlling the shut-off valve are installed, which are set at the time of setting the number for initializing various set values according to the number, and seismic or pressure shut-off. A fluid vibration gas meter that has a seismic / pressure mask mode that is released by blocking other than the above, and a test switch that can be operated from outside the meter, and is a flow rate mask mode that is set when setting the number and avoids the blocking function by flow rate. A gas meter with a safety function having a function of releasing the flow rate mask mode without closing a shutoff valve when the test switch is operated while the flow rate mask mode is set. 2. The gas meter with safety function according to claim 1, wherein the flow rate mask mode is canceled by communication. 3. The gas meter with a safety function according to claim 1, wherein all the flags for confirming the mask mode are put in three places, and if any one is different, the flag is turned off.