JPH0875509A - Electronic city water meter - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To enhance the hermetic seal performance between a transparent glass and a tubular body by fitting the transparent glass in the opening of a bottomed tubular body such that an elastic body for sustaining hermetic seal is pressed and then retaining the glass by means of bent claws. CONSTITUTION: A transparent glass 4 is fitted in the upper opening of a bottomed tubular metal body 1 for containing an electronic circuit 2 while pressing an O-ring (elastic body for sustaining hermetic seal) placed on a stepped surface 1a formed at a part of the inner circumferential surface of the tubular body 1. Claws 1b formed around the opening of the tubular body 1 are then bent to secure the glass 4 to the tubular body 1 and then it is coated with a protective frame body made of a synthetic resin, for example. This structure enhances hermetic seal between the glass 4 and a signal terminal 5 and between the glass 4 and the tubular body 1. Furthermore, since the number of sealing points is decreased, intrusion of moisture into a hermetically sealed vessel is prevented thus enhancing the reliability of electronic device.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic water meter.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a water meter has a certification valid period of 8 hours.
It is a year and needs to have a longer useful life.

In an electronic water meter whose metering portion is composed of an electronic circuit, an electronic circuit portion mounted at high density is attached to the flow rate detecting portion, so that the electronic circuit portion is protected from the environment where the electronic water meter is installed. The structure to do is needed. Particularly in an electronic water meter that is expected to be used even when it is submerged in water, it is important to maintain the airtightness of a hermetically sealed container that houses the electronic circuit unit.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the structure of a conventional electronic water meter.

Here, a bottomed cylinder (hereinafter referred to as a cylinder)
An electronic circuit 102 is attached to 101, and a collar portion 101a formed in the opening of the cylindrical body 101 above the electronic circuit 102 has a collar portion 103a formed in a ring shape.
Welding so that the frame 103 having
It is fixed by pressure welding, winding tightening, etc. Also, the frame 10
A transparent glass 104 for sealing one end thereof is joined to the inner side of 3. The see-through glass 104 is made of soda-lime plate glass having a thickness of 5 mm, for example, and has a disk shape. Furthermore, at a predetermined position on the transparent glass 104, a Dumet wire (Ni 40 to 4 having a thickness of 0.5 mm) is provided.
The signal terminal 105 made of 2% and the remaining Fe) is arranged so as to penetrate therethrough, and the penetration portion is hermetically glass-bonded.

The joining of the signal terminal 105 to the transparent glass 104 and the joining of the transparent glass 104 and the frame 103 are
This is performed as shown in FIG. That is, the perspective glass 104 spaced a required number of through-holes of 0.6φ~0.8φ advance in the laser machining at a predetermined position, for example, PbO-B ₂ O ₃ -Si
Bead glass 106 made of O ₂ -based low melting point glass material
The signal terminal 105 marked with is inserted. On the other hand, the frame body 103 brazed with the low melting point glass 107 similar to the above by the dip sealing method is covered on the transparent glass 104, and this is heated by an infrared furnace or the like to be joined.

On the other hand, on the outside of the frame 103, a protective frame 108 formed of, for example, a synthetic resin is provided so as to be capped, and the protective frame positioned directly above each of the signal terminals 105. An electrical insulator 109, such as resin, is embedded in the recessed frame 108a formed in the body 108 after the signal terminal 105 is connected to the transmission line 110 and then filled.

[0008]

However, in the electronic water meter having the above structure, the cylindrical body 101 and the frame body 1 are provided.
03 is sealed by welding, pressure contact, winding tightening, or the like so as to keep airtightness at the respective collar portions 101a and 103a, or the transparent glass 104 is sealed to the frame 103 by heat bonding. However, these sealing operations were troublesome. Further, in the above electronic water meter, since the signal terminal 105 is thin, the electrical insulator 1 filled around the signal terminal 105 is provided.
The signal terminal 105 may be eroded by the water that has penetrated the resin of No. 09, and improvement in reliability has been earnestly desired.

The present invention has been made in view of the above,
It is an object of the present invention to provide an electronic water meter with improved reliability while improving the sealing structure.

[0010]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention according to claim 1 is such that a blade whose opening end is formed in a wide mouth through a step surface and rotates in proportion to the amount of water used. A bottomed cylindrical body that houses an electronic circuit that detects the amount of water used to detect the amount of water used in the vehicle, an elastic body for maintaining airtightness that is arranged on the stepped surface of this bottomed cylindrical body, and a wide mouth. A transparent glass is fitted into the opening of the bottom cylinder so as to press the airtight elastic member, and a plurality of transparent glasses are provided around the open end of the bottomed cylinder formed in the wide mouth and fitted into the opening of the bottomed cylinder. And a folding claw that holds down the transparent glass.

The present invention according to claim 2 is the same as claim 1
In the invention described above, the see-through glass is provided in an electronic circuit in which a dent shape by a knockout pin at the time of die cutting at the time of molding is formed in a protective frame body that is capped on the outside of a bottomed cylindrical body. The gist is that the shape is formed by a direct press molding method so as to have a shape along a visible frame for visually recognizing the display portion.

Furthermore, the present invention according to claim 3 is the invention according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the transparent glass is insert-molded by a direct press method to exchange signals between an electronic circuit and the outside. The gist is that the signal terminals for performing are planted.

The present invention according to claim 4 provides the invention according to claim 3.
In the invention described above, the gist of the see-through glass is that the end of the glass bonding portion with the signal terminal in which the signal terminal is implanted is formed in a buildup around the signal terminal.

Further, the present invention according to claim 5 is, in the invention according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the end face of the transparent glass is chamfered.

The present invention according to claim 6 provides the invention according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 5, wherein the airtight holding elastic body is an O-ring.

The invention according to claim 7 is the invention according to claim 1, 2, 3, 5 or 6, wherein all the folding positions of the folding claws are specified at the same position. And

Further, the present invention according to claim 8 is based on claim 7.
In the invention described above, the gist is that the folding claw has a notch formed at a bending position thereof.

Further, according to the present invention of claim 9, the use of water is detected by detecting the rotation amount of an impeller rotating in proportion to the amount of water used, in which the opening end is formed in a wide mouth through the step surface. A bottomed cylindrical body that houses an electronic circuit for obtaining the amount, an airtightness maintaining elastic body arranged on the step surface of the bottomed cylindrical body, and an airtightness maintaining elastic body at the opening of the bottomed cylindrical body formed in the wide mouth. And a plurality of transparent glasses fitted around the opening end of the bottomed tubular body formed in the wide mouth and holding the transparent glass fitted into the opening of the bottomed tubular body by being twisted. The point is to have and.

[0019]

In the electronic water meter according to claim 1,
By fitting the transparent glass into the opening of the bottomed cylindrical body so as to press the airtight holding elastic body and pressing the transparent glass with the folding claw, the airtightness between the transparent glass and the bottomed cylindrical body is secured.

In the electronic water meter according to the second aspect of the present invention, the transparent glass is formed by the direct press molding method, and the dent shape by the knockout pin at the time of die cutting at the time of molding is the bottomed cylindrical body. By forming the display portion provided in the electronic circuit formed on the protective frame body to be crowned on the outside in accordance with the shape of the visual recognition frame, the appearance is improved.

In the electronic water meter according to the third aspect, signal terminals for exchanging signals between the electronic circuit and the outside are planted in the transparent glass by insert molding by the direct press system. This ensures the airtightness of the penetration portion of the signal terminal in the transparent glass.

According to another aspect of the electronic water meter of the present invention, the end of the glass connecting portion of the transparent glass with the signal terminal is formed by padding around the signal terminal. Prevents bending when connecting terminals to electronic circuits, etc.

In the electronic water meter according to the fifth aspect, the end face of the transparent glass is chamfered so that partial stress is not applied to the transparent glass when it is pressed by the folding claws.

In the electronic water meter according to the sixth aspect, the airtightness is secured by using the O ring as the airtightness maintaining elastic body.

In the electronic water meter according to a seventh aspect of the present invention, the bending positions of the folding claws are all specified to be the same position, so that the pressing force of the transparent glass on the airtightness maintaining elastic body is made constant.

In the electronic water meter according to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the notch is formed at the bending position of the folding claw, so that the pressing force of the transparent glass on the airtightness-holding elastic body is surely made constant. .

In the electronic water meter according to the ninth aspect, the transparent glass is pressed by being twisted, so that the pressing force of the transparent glass on the airtightness-holding elastic body is more surely made constant.

[0028]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

1 and 2 are views showing an electronic water meter according to an embodiment of the present invention. As its characteristic, a metal bottomed cylindrical body (hereinafter referred to as a cylindrical body) 1 for accommodating an electronic circuit 2 and an upper portion of the cylindrical body 1, that is, a transparent glass 4 inside an opening, has an inner circumference of the cylindrical body 1. O constituting the airtight holding elastic body placed on the step surface 1a formed on a part of the surface
The protective frame body is pressed by a ring 11 so as to maintain airtightness, and is fixed by bending the folding claw 1b formed in the opening of the cylindrical body 1, and the outer side thereof is formed of, for example, a synthetic resin. 8 is provided so as to be crowned. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 15 denotes an impeller that rotates according to the flow rate of tap water, and a permanent magnet 17 is provided above it.
Is provided. This permanent magnet 17 has a cylindrical body 1.
Sensor that forms part of the electronic circuit inside (not shown)
The magnetic sensor converts the rotation of the permanent magnet 17 into an electric signal.

The cylindrical body 1 has a shape in which a step surface 1a is partially provided by press forming a steel plate. The material of the cylindrical body 1 may be copper, aluminum, Fe—Ni alloy, or the like, and the molding is not limited to press molding.

The see-through glass 4 is made of a disk-shaped glass plate made of soda lime and having a thickness of 6 mm, which is formed by the direct press method. Then, at a predetermined position of the see-through glass 4, a signal terminal 5 composed of a plurality of, for example, 1.0 mm thick dumet wires having a coefficient of thermal expansion equal to that of the glass is directly pressed. It is planted in an airtight manner by insert molding according to the method. Here, the direct press method is a molding method for forming a desired glass shape by arranging signal terminals in a transparent glass molding die and pouring a molten glass material into the die. In addition, the transparent glass 4 displays the shape of the dent 4a by the knockout pin at the time of molding by the direct press method, a display unit for displaying the calculation results and the like provided in the electronic circuit 2 formed in the protective frame body 8 (FIG. (Not shown) has a shape that matches the invisible portion 8c provided slightly outside the visible frame 8b for the display portion, and the shape of the joint end 4b with the signal terminal 5 is the signal terminal. 5
Is built up around the. Furthermore, see-through glass 4
As shown in FIG. 3, the end surface 4d of C is chamfered so as not to hit the upper side surface when pressed by the folding claw 1b. As a material of the transparent glass 4, a hard glass material such as boric acid glass can be used in addition to the soft glass such as soda lime. Further, although the signal terminal 5 uses a Dumet wire, the material and diameter thereof are not limited thereto as long as they can be joined to the transparent glass 4 satisfactorily.

The folding claw 1b is for sealing the O-ring 11 by pressing the transparent glass 4 pressed by the O-ring 11 with a constant pressure to prevent water from entering the cylindrical body 1.
Transparent glass 4 pressed against the O-ring 11
It is bent at the upper surface position 1c. Folding nail 1
As for the height h of b, since the folding claw 1b is integrally formed as a part of the cylindrical body 1, the dimension h _o of the opening side surface portion 1d of the cylindrical body 1 is determined by the thickness of the transparent glass 4 and the diameter of the O-ring 11. Is set to be smaller than the sum of the above, and is formed at a height sufficient to hold down the transparent glass 4 pressed by the O-ring 11 with a constant pressure. Thereby, the compression rate of the O-ring 11 by the transparent glass 4 can be uniquely determined.

One end of each signal terminal 5 is connected to the printed circuit board 12 which constitutes the electronic circuit 2, and the other end is connected to the transmission line 10.

According to the electronic water meter of this embodiment constructed and assembled as described above, the transparent glass 4 of the direct press system is used as the glass window, and the signal terminal 5 is directly insert-molded on the glass. Therefore, it becomes easy to shorten the processing steps in the manufacturing process of the glass window in the prior art and to easily install the mass production equipment, and protect the dents caused by the knockout pins during the molding of the transparent glass 4 from the protective frame 8
The appearance of the signal terminal 5 is improved by housing it in the invisible portion 8b, and since the periphery of the signal terminal 5 is formed by padding, it is used for the signal when connecting one end of the signal terminal 5 to the printed circuit board 12. The bending of the terminal 5 can be prevented, the erosion effect due to moisture can be reduced, and the reliability can be improved. Further, since the end surface 4d of the transparent glass 4 is chamfered, no stress is partially applied when the transparent glass 4 is pressed by the folding claw 1b, which can contribute to prevention of breakage of the transparent glass 4.

In the above embodiment, the shape of the folding claw 1b is not limited to that shown in FIG.
Alternatively, for example, the shape shown in FIG. 4 may be adopted. FIG. 4 shows the folding claw 1.
Since the notch 21 is formed at the base of b, the folding position of all the folding claws 1b can be made constant, and the bending accuracy of the folding claws can be improved. Further, since the shape of the folding claw 1b can be increased, the transparent glass 4 can be reliably pressed by the surface, and stress concentration on the transparent glass 4 can be avoided to prevent damage to the transparent glass 4. , The compression ratio of the O-ring 11 can be strictly managed.

FIG. 5 shows an embodiment in which the see-through glass 4 is pressed down not by the folding claws but by the claws 25 having the notches 23 formed at the bases thereof.
The nail 25 is hermetically sealed by twisting the nail 25 to the upper surface of the transparent glass 4 while being pressed with a constant pressure.
According to this structure, the same effect as the case of the structure of FIG. 4 can be exhibited. In particular, when the folding claws shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 are pressed, since the folding claws are bent against the repulsive force of compressing the O-ring 11, it is assumed that the bent folding claws return slightly. Although the compression rate is determined, the so-called caulking structure of FIG. 5 does not need to consider the return of the claw 25, so that the compression rate of the O-ring 11 can be managed more strictly.

[0037]

As described above, according to the present invention,
The airtightness between the see-through glass and the signal terminal and the air-tightness between the see-through glass and the bottomed cylinder are improved and the number of sealing points is reduced, so that the entry of moisture etc. into the sealed container is prevented. As a result, the reliability of the electronic component can be improved.
Further, since the compressibility of the airtight holding elastic body at the time of sealing can be uniquely determined, a caulking structure having high airtightness and high reliability can be realized.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an electronic water meter according to an embodiment of the present invention and a side view showing a part of the electronic water meter.

2A and 2B are a plan view and a side view showing a part of the electronic water meter of FIG. 1 with a protective frame attached.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a part of the electronic water meter of FIG.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a part of the electronic water meter of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a view showing a partial cross section of an electronic water meter according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a conventional electronic water meter and a side view showing a part of the electronic water meter.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a combination of a frame body, a see-through glass, and a signal terminal pin of an airtight container according to a conventional technique.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Bottomed cylindrical body 2 Electronic circuit 4 Transparent glass 5 Signal terminal 8 Protective frame 10 Transmission line 11 O-ring 12 Printed circuit board 15 Impeller 17 Permanent magnet 21 Notch 23 Notch 25 Claw 1a Step surface 1b Folding claw 4a Strike Marks 4c Joined part end 4d End face 8b Visible frame for display part 8c Invisible part

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor, Juichi Iimura 70 Yanagicho, Sachi-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa, Toshiba Yanagimachi Co., Ltd. (72) Hiroto Uyama 70, Yanagicho, Sachi-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa Inside the factory (72) Inventor Fumihiko Tada 70 Yanagicho, Saiwai-ku, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. An electronic circuit having an opening end formed in a wide opening through a stepped surface and storing an electronic circuit for detecting the amount of rotation of an impeller rotating in proportion to the amount of water used to determine the amount of water used. The bottom cylinder, the airtight holding elastic body arranged on the stepped surface of the bottomed cylinder, and the see-through fitted to press the airtightness holding elastic body into the opening of the bottomed cylinder formed in the wide mouth. An electronic water supply having a glass and a plurality of folding claws provided around the opening end of the bottomed cylindrical body formed in the wide mouth and holding the transparent glass fitted in the opening of the bottomed cylindrical body. Meter. 2. The transparent glass is provided in an electronic circuit in which a dent shape by a knockout pin at the time of die cutting at the time of molding is formed on a protective frame body provided outside the bottomed cylindrical body. The electronic water meter according to claim 1, wherein the electronic water meter is formed by a direct press molding method so as to have a shape along a shape of a visible frame for visually recognizing the display portion. 3. The transparent glass, by insert molding by a direct press method, is implanted with signal terminals for exchanging signals between an electronic circuit and the outside. The electronic water meter according to 1 or 2. 4. The transparent glass has a shape in which an edge of a glass joint with a signal terminal in which a signal terminal is implanted is formed so as to be built up around the signal terminal. Electronic water meter described. 5. The electronic water meter according to claim 1, wherein the transparent glass has a chamfered end surface. 6. The electronic water meter according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 5, wherein the airtight holding elastic body is an O-ring. 7. The electronic water meter according to claim 1, wherein all the folding positions of the folding claws are specified at the same position. 8. The electronic water meter according to claim 7, wherein the folding claw has a notch formed at a bending position thereof. 9. An electronic circuit, wherein an opening end is formed in a wide mouth through a step surface, and which detects an amount of rotation of an impeller that rotates in proportion to the amount of water used to determine an amount of water used. The bottom cylinder, the airtight holding elastic body arranged on the stepped surface of the bottomed cylinder, and the see-through fitted to press the airtightness holding elastic body into the opening of the bottomed cylinder formed in the wide mouth. It has a glass and a plurality of claws which are provided around the opening end of the bottomed cylindrical body formed in a wide mouth and which are twisted to hold down the transparent glass fitted in the opening of the bottomed cylindrical body. Electronic water meter.