JPH0927092A - Radio device for automatic meter inspection - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide the radio device with automatic meter inspection having antenna structure which is easily hardly affected by a peripheral metallic body while the whole radio device is reduced in size and easily to install by making the antenna of the radio device short. SOLUTION: This device is equipped with a meter device 1 which integrates the flow rate, etc., of fluid and a meter-side radio device 7a which is arranged nearby or in the meter device 1 and communicates the integrated value by radio, and the antenna connected to the meter-side radio device 7a is formed into a plate type antenna 3a, which composed of a metallic housing 2a provided nearby the meter device 1 and a conductor plate provided nearby the metallic housing 2a. Then the conductor plate and metallic housing 2a are electrically connected to each other and a feeding part is provide between the both to feed electricity.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic meter-reading wireless device for measuring an integrated value of the amount of gas, water, electricity, etc. used by a gas meter, a water meter, an electric power meter or the like and remotely sucking the integrated value. It is about.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, so-called automatic meter reading systems have begun to be introduced which absorb the integrated value of the amount of gas, electricity, water, etc. used by a meter remotely measured using a telephone line or the like.

It has also been attempted to wirelessly communicate between the meter device and the telephone line. In addition, the meter device has a wired communication function for monitoring gas leaks, shutting off gas supply when gas leaks, and storing an integrated value of gas usage and communicating it. It is generally called a microcomputer meter. The meter device described below is a microcomputer meter and has a communication function.

Further, a block diagram of a wireless automatic meter reading device of a gas meter device, which is considered prior to the present invention, will be described with reference to FIG. In (a) of FIG. 9, a meter device 18 for measuring an integrated value of the flow rate of gas is provided between a gas pipe 17a piped to the home from the outside and a gas pipe 17b piped to the home. Meter device 18
A meter-side wireless device 19 is connected by wire to the telephone line side for wireless communication. The meter-side wireless device 19 is provided with an external antenna 20.

On the other hand, in the center device 24 shown in FIG. 9 (b) which sucks up the integrated value accumulated by each meter device 18, the no-linking network control device (hereinafter , T-NCU: Termin
al-Network Control Unit) 25 is connected. The T-NCU 25 is wire-connected to the T-NCU side wireless device 21 so that wireless communication can be performed with the meter device 18 side. The T-NCU side wireless device 21 is provided with an external antenna 22.

[0006] The meter-side wireless device 19 shown in FIG.
Is installed near the meter device 18, and the antenna 20 is installed on the housing of the meter-side wireless device 19. Also,
The T-NCU side wireless device 21 shown in (b) of FIG.
The antenna 22 is installed near the CU 25, and the antenna 22 is the TN.
It is mounted on the housing of the CU side wireless device 21.

[0007] radio waves used in wireless uses a frequency of 400MH _Z band for specified low power radio.

The center unit 24 shown in FIG. 9B calls the T-NCU 25 via the telephone line 23. The called T-NCU 25 activates the T-NCU side wireless device 21 and radiates a radio wave from the antenna 22. That T-NCU
The radio wave radiated from the antenna 22 of the side wireless device 21 is received by the meter side wireless device 19 from the antenna 20 of the meter side wireless device 19. The meter-side wireless device 19 transfers the received data to the meter device 18,
The integrated value data, such as the gas flow rate, stored and stored in the device is stored in the meter device 18 together with a unique device number from the meter device 18 through a wired connection line, a meter-side wireless device 19, an antenna 20
It radiates on the electric wave via.

The radiated integrated value data is used for the antenna 2
2 from the T-NCU side wireless device 21,
-Center unit 24 via NCU 25 and telephone line 23
Is transmitted as flow rate integrated value data measured by the meter device 18.

[0010]

However, the antenna 20 of the meter-side wireless device 19 is constructed such that a monopole antenna or a helical antenna is attached to the outside of the housing of the meter-side wireless device 19.

Therefore, a space for installing a tall monopole antenna or a bulky helical antenna needs to be open around the antenna installation location, and the installation flexibility is low. In particular, the installation situation of the gas meter device varies from home to home, and there are cases where there is no installation space for the antenna, which is a problem.

Further, when a monopole antenna or a helical antenna is installed around the gas meter device 19, it is necessary to select a mounting location as described above because of the height of the back and the height of the gas, and the antenna is used for the meter. It is difficult to embed it in the side wireless device 19.

A tall monopole antenna is a pipe 17
When installed along a and 17b, the piping space of the piping 17a and 17b can be effectively used to reduce the bulkiness around the antenna.

However, in this case, since the impedance of the antenna increases due to the influence of the pipes 17a and 17b along the antenna, the antenna characteristics are deteriorated and the gain is greatly reduced. This is the same when the antenna is provided along the wall surface made of a metal plate.

If a monopole antenna or a helical antenna is installed around the gas meter device, the appearance and size of the meter device will change due to the height and height of the gas, and the meter device will be installed. There is also the problem that the construction will become even more difficult.

When an automatic meter-reading system using radio is installed in an existing meter device, the meter-side wireless device 1
9 will be provided in the form of an adapter, but a monopole antenna or a helical antenna will be too large to make a small adapter.

Further, if the structure is such that the antenna is attached to the outside of the radio device housing, the waterproofness of the adapter is a problem for the meter-side radio device 19 used outdoors, and the antenna characteristics are degraded by exposure to wind and rain. There are also problems.

Further, the meter device 18 and the meter-side wireless device 1
If 9 are separately configured, additional work such as connecting the meter-side wireless device 19 to the meter device 18 is required, which causes a problem in cost.

The T-NCU side radio unit 21 also has a similar problem. First, in the case of a monopole antenna or the like, the T-NCU side wireless device 21 may not be mounted due to its height, and a large space needs to be provided at the antenna mounting location. Due to the structure of the antenna, it is difficult to waterproof it, and the waterproof property deteriorates, and the antenna characteristics may deteriorate.

The T-NCU 25 is often attached to the wall surface of the outer wall of the house in many cases, and may be made of a metal plate depending on the wall surface. At this time, if the monopole antenna is arranged in parallel to the metal wall, the impedance of the antenna increases due to the influence of the metal wall, and the antenna gain significantly decreases. In addition, T-NCU25 and T-NCU
If the side wireless devices 21 are separately configured, additional work is required to connect the T-NCU side wireless device 21 to the T-NCU 25, which causes a cost problem.

Further, the meter device side wireless device 19 and TN
When either or both of the CU-side wireless devices 21 are greatly affected by the surrounding metal objects depending on the installation location and the antenna gain is greatly reduced, there is a possibility that wireless communication cannot be performed as the automatic meter-reading system. .

The present invention solves the above-described problems, and has an antenna structure of a radio device that is short and low and has a small antenna structure that is easy to install and that is not easily affected by surrounding metal objects. The main purpose is to provide a wireless device for automatic meter reading.

[0023]

In order to achieve the above object, the invention of claim 1 provides a meter device for integrating a flow rate of a fluid, and an integrated value obtained by the integration arranged near or inside the meter device. It is characterized in that it is provided with a meter-side wireless device that communicates wirelessly, and an antenna connected to the wireless device is a plate-shaped antenna.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the plate antenna includes a metal casing provided near the meter device and a conductor plate provided near the metal casing. , Those that electrically connect these and feed between them (this is generally called a plate-shaped inverted F antenna,
Hereinafter referred to as a plate-shaped inverted F antenna. ).

According to a third aspect of the invention, in the second aspect of the invention, a metal casing is provided on at least a part of the meter device, and the plate antenna is formed on the metal casing portion.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention, in the second aspect of the invention, the metal casing has a built-in wireless device, and the plate antenna is formed in the metal casing.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the third or fourth aspect of the present invention, the metal casing provided with the plate antenna is built in the resin casing.

The invention of claim 6 is the invention of claims 1, 2, 3, 4
Alternatively, in the invention of the fifth aspect, the antenna surface of the plate-shaped antenna is arranged parallel to the direction of gravity on the ground.

According to a seventh aspect of the invention, in the sixth aspect of the invention, a meter device, at least a part of which is made of a metal casing, and a metal casing, which incorporates a wireless device and has a plate antenna, are separately provided. And the metal casing is arranged close to or electrically connected to the metal casing of the meter device.

The invention of claim 8 relates to claim 1, 2, 3,
In the invention of 4, 5, or 6, the meter device is provided with a measuring unit for measuring a flow rate and the like, which is made of a metal housing, and an electronic circuit housing portion, which is made of a non-metal housing, and the wireless device including a plate antenna is the electronic device Built into the circuit compartment.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, a line terminal device for transmitting a signal such as a flow rate integrated value by the meter device via a telephone line, and a meter side wireless device arranged on the line terminal device side and installed on the meter side. It is characterized in that a line terminal side wireless device for wireless communication is provided and an antenna connected to the line terminal side wireless device is a plate-shaped antenna.

According to a tenth aspect of the invention, in the invention of the ninth aspect, the plate-shaped antenna includes a metal casing arranged near the line terminal device, and a conductor plate provided near the metal casing. Is provided, and the conductor plate and the metal casing are electrically connected to each other and power is supplied between both.

According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the tenth aspect of the present invention, a metal casing having a plate antenna is built in a resin casing.

The invention of claim 12 is the invention of claim 10 or 1.
Further, in the invention of claim 1, the antenna surface of the plate-shaped antenna is arranged perpendicular to the direction of gravity on the ground.

The invention of claim 13 relates to claims 9, 10, and 1.
In the invention of 1 or 12, the wireless device including the line terminal device and the plate antenna is built in the same housing.

According to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a meter device for integrating a flow rate of a fluid, a line terminal device for transmitting the integrated value of the flow rate and the like through a telephone line, and a meter side installed on the meter side. A wireless device, a line terminal device-side wireless device that is installed on the line terminal side and wirelessly communicates with the meter-side wireless device, and a metal housing that is arranged near each of the meter-side and line terminal device-side wireless devices. It is equipped with a plate-shaped antenna that electrically connects to a conductor plate arranged near the metal casing and supplies power between the two, and the antenna surface of the plate-shaped antenna connected to the meter-side wireless device is connected to ground gravity. It is characterized in that it is arranged parallel to the direction and the antenna surface of the plate-shaped antenna connected to the radio equipment on the side of the line terminal device is arranged perpendicular to the direction of gravity on the ground.

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and drawings.

[0038]

In the above-mentioned structure of the invention of claim 1 or 9, since the antenna of the wireless device on the meter device side or the wireless device on the line terminal device side is plate-shaped and short and low, the meter device side or the line terminal is It can be installed without any special space around each wireless device on the device side, which improves the installation flexibility of the entire wireless device including the antenna, and is particularly effective for wireless devices on the meter device side where there are many installation space restrictions. Is. Moreover, the antenna can be built in without increasing the size or changing the form of each wireless device, which is more convenient for various handling and installation, and the waterproofness and durability of the antenna can be improved. In addition, the plate antenna having the above characteristics should be easy to install in a position or orientation that is not affected by surrounding metal objects without requiring a large space, and that the antenna characteristics (antenna gain etc.) should be good and stable. You can

According to the above configuration of the invention of claim 2 or 10, in the invention of claim 1 or 9, the metal casing forming the plate-shaped inverted F antenna is located near the meter device or the line terminal device. Since it can be operated as a large ground plane compared to the wavelength used in a size corresponding to these (for example, about 70 cm at 420 MHz), it is possible to realize a more stable plate-shaped inverted F antenna that is not easily affected by surroundings. You can

According to the above configuration of the invention of claim 3,
In the invention described above, by using at least a part of the housing of the meter device as the metal housing, it is not necessary to prepare a new metal housing for the amount shared by the metal housing. By integrating the meter device with the meter device, the assembly and installation work can be facilitated when using the wireless automatic meter reading device, and labor can be saved. Therefore, it is most preferable to share the whole.

According to the above configuration of the invention of claim 4,
In the invention of claim 1, further, a wireless device adapter for automatic meter-reading that is attached to an existing meter device can be configured by incorporating the wireless device in the metal housing of the plate-shaped inverted F antenna. Can be used for.

According to the above configuration of the invention of claim 5, claim 3 is provided.
Alternatively, in the invention of 4 above, by further incorporating a metal casing having a plate-shaped inverted F antenna in a resin casing,
By enlarging the entire metal casing by about one turn, it is possible to reduce the deterioration of the antenna gain due to the oxidation of the antenna surface and the change in the impedance due to the oxidation of the antenna surface, with almost no loss in the gain of the antenna. Moreover, there is less concern that the antenna will be damaged by external force, and a wireless device that is easy to install can be realized.

According to the above-mentioned configuration of the invention of claim 6 or claim 11, in each of the inventions of claim 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 or the invention of claim 9 or 10, the antenna surface is grounded. Even if the wireless communication device is installed between the metal pipes protruding above the meter device by arranging it horizontally in the direction of gravity, it is a position slightly moved in the direction perpendicular to the direction where these pipes of the antenna face each other. Just by setting it away from the pipe, it becomes difficult to be affected by these, the impedance of the antenna does not change significantly,
It is possible to realize an omnidirectional antenna on a horizontal plane with a small gain reduction and a small change in directivity.

According to the above configuration of the invention of claim 7, claim 6 is provided.
In the invention of claim 2, the wireless device and the meter device, each having the plate-shaped inverted F antenna formed in a separate housing, are placed close to each other or electrically connected to each other, and the wireless device and the meter device are substantially connected to each other. Since it is electrically connected to the antenna, it forms a large ground plane to which the antenna surface is connected to both of these metal housings, so that it is possible to suppress changes in the antenna impedance due to various effects. Therefore, a high antenna gain can be stably maintained.

In the above configuration of the invention of claim 8, in the invention of claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, the wireless device including a plate-shaped inverted F antenna is a non-metallic casing of the meter device. By embedding it in the electronic circuit housing that is composed of the body, the non-metallic housing of the meter device can be waterproofed and protected from the environment by using the electronic circuit protection structure without providing any special member or housing. be able to.

In the above configuration of the invention of claim 12, in the invention of claim 10, since the antenna surface is oriented perpendicular to the direction of gravity on the ground, the influence of the material of the wall surface on the antenna is reduced. As an automatic meter reading system using wireless, it is resistant to antenna impedance changes due to metal objects.

According to the above configuration of the invention of claim 13, the assembly and the installation work when using the wireless automatic meter-reading device by integrating the wireless device having the plate-shaped antenna and the line terminal device are easy and labor saving. Can be realized.

With the above construction of the fourteenth aspect of the invention, it is possible to exhibit the operational effects of each of the first, second, sixth, ninth, tenth and twelfth aspects of the invention.

[0049]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An optimum first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 of the present invention will be described below. This embodiment is an example of a case where the automatic meter-reading wireless device of the present invention is mounted on the meter device of the conventional type automatic meter-reading device shown in FIG.

In FIG. 1, the meter device 1 is placed with the front surface 1a facing the front side of the paper, and the flow rate display unit 1 is placed on the front surface 1a.
Two. In this meter device 1, a metal gas pipe 5a, which is piped to the home from the outside, and a metal gas pipe 5b, which is piped to the home, are projected upward from both sides of the upper surface.

On the other hand, the meter side wireless device 7a, which wirelessly communicates the integrated value of the gas flow rate in the meter device 1 with the T-NCU 13 as shown in FIG. 9, is a metal casing 2a as shown in FIG. Is installed in the space between the pipes 5a and 5b on both sides of the upper surface of the meter device 1.

The metal housing 2a containing the meter-side wireless device 7a is connected to the plate-shaped inverted F antenna 3a which is arranged in parallel with the front surface 2a1 of the metal housing 2a at a predetermined distance as shown in FIG. It is electrically connected by the portion 8a. Brass was used for the metal material connecting portion 8a.

The metal casing 2a is a rectangular parallelepiped whose lower surface is in contact with the meter device 1 and whose inside is hollow. The plate-shaped inverted F antenna 3a is formed of a conductor plate. More specifically, the conductor plate is formed by drawing an antenna pattern on a single-sided printed circuit board (a glass epoxy resin substrate is used in this embodiment), and the antenna surface 3a1 is positioned parallel to the front surface 1a of the meter device 1. Moreover, the front surface 1a of the meter device 1 is projected about 10 mm forward. This 10 mm protrusion is due to the gas pipe 5a,
The antenna surface 3a1 is positioned a little closer to the front, which is a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the left and right sides face each other, and the antenna surface 3a1 is largely separated from the gas pipes 5a and 5b as shown in FIG. 3B. So that A power feeding portion 9a is connected between the antenna surface 3a1 and the metal housing 2a as shown in FIG.

It should be noted that the operating frequency of the meter-side wireless device 7a is a frequency in the 420 MHz band, the dimension of the antenna surface 3a1 is 50 × 50 (mm), and the distance h from the front surface 2a1 of the parallel metal housing 2a is h. Is h = 10 mm. Therefore, the front surface 1a of the meter device 1 and the front surface 2a1 of the metal housing 2a are substantially flush with each other.

The antenna surface 3a1 of the plate-shaped inverted F antenna 3a
Is incorporated in a resin casing 4a made of ABS resin, together with the entire metal casing 2a and the metal material connecting portion 8a of the plate-shaped inverted F antenna 3a. The resin housing 4a and the metal housing 2a built in the resin housing 4a are installed on the upper surface of the meter device 1 via a metal radio base 6 for mounting.

The metal radio base 6 is fixed to the upper surface of the meter device 1 with a metal screw so that the metal housing of the meter device 1 and the metal radio base 6 are electrically connected. Connected to. The resin housing 4a is fixed to the metal wireless device pedestal 6 with screws on both sides.

Next, when the antenna surface 3a1 is positioned parallel to the front surface 1a of the meter device 1 and when the antenna surface 3a1 is positioned parallel to the front surface of the meter device 1, respectively. FIG. 3 shows the configuration and directivity of the plate-shaped inverted F antenna 3a in the case of.

FIG. 3A shows a case where a plate-shaped inverted F antenna is mounted such that the antenna surface 3a1 is located in parallel with the upper surface of the meter device 1 between the gas pipes 5a and 5b in the upper part of the meter device 1. FIG. 3 (a1) shows the directivity of vertical polarization on a horizontal plane perpendicular to the direction of gravity.
As can be seen from (a1) of FIG. 3, the directivity is not round but distorted.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3B, the metal casing 2a
The mounting position is the same as in the case of FIG. 3A, and the mounting direction of the antenna surface 3a1 is parallel to the front surface 1a of the meter device 1 as described in the first embodiment and is set forward by 1
The case where it is projected by 0 mm is shown, and the directivity of vertical polarization on the horizontal plane perpendicular to the direction of gravity at this time is shown in FIG.
This is shown in 1). As can be seen from FIG. 3 (b1), the directivity is round, and it can be seen that it exhibits omnidirectionality in the horizontal plane.

From the above, it can be seen that it is better to mount the antenna surface of the plate-shaped inverted F antenna of the meter-side automatic meter-reading wireless device mounted near the metal piping pipe in the front direction.

In the above structure, the plate-shaped inverted F antenna has a height h = 50 mm, which is significantly shorter than the 1/4 wavelength monopole antenna (about 17 cm at 420 MHz). Further, since the plate-shaped inverted F antenna 3a is configured by incorporating the meter-side wireless device 7a and disposing the conductor plate in parallel with the metal casing 2a that is slightly larger, the bulkiness can be suppressed. Therefore, the whole of the wireless device including the antenna can be easily installed by using a small space such as the space between the left and right gas pipes 5a and 5b on the upper surface of the meter device 1 as in the present embodiment. it can.

Moreover, the metal casing 2a is electrically connected to the conductor plate of the plate-shaped inverted F antenna 3a by electrically feeding the metal casing 2a to the plate-shaped inverted F antenna. Since the ground plane of 3a is used as the ground plane, the ground plane can be made large with respect to the wavelength, the impedance of the plate-shaped inverted F antenna 3a does not easily change due to external conditions, and the antenna gain is stable. Can be kept at

Further, the antenna surface 3a1 is arranged on the front surface 1a side of the meter device 1, and 10 m from the front surface 1a.
By having a structure in which the gas pipes 5a and 5b are slightly protruded forward by about m, and the gas pipes 5a and 5b are made of metal, the meter-side wireless device 7a and the plate-shaped inverted F are provided between the gas pipes 5a and 5b made of metal.
Even if the antenna 3a is attached, the impedance change of the plate-shaped inverted F antenna 3a is reduced, and the gain reduction can be reduced. Also, the directivity is improved.

When the meter device 1 has a metal casing part, the metal casing 2a can share the whole or a part of the metal casing part 2 and can exhibit the same function and effect as in the above case. By such sharing, the structure can be further simplified and the overall size can be reduced.

Further, since the antenna surface 3a1 of the plate-shaped inverted F antenna 3a is built in the resin casing 4a, the waterproof property of the plate-shaped inverted F antenna 3a is improved, and the impedance due to the oxidation of the antenna surface 3a1 is caused. Since the change in is small, the decrease in antenna gain can be suppressed. In the present embodiment, the metal casing 2a, the plate-shaped inverted F antenna 3a, the metal material connecting portion 8a between them, and the power feeding portion 9a are entirely incorporated in the resin casing 4a, so The protection of is further enhanced, and durability and stability of performance are further improved.

The lower edge of the metal casing 2a built in the resin casing 4a and the metal pedestal 6 are spaced by a distance of about several millimeters through the resin. From the above, it can be considered that the meter device 1 and the metal housing 2a are connected, and these can be regarded as an integrated large metal housing. Therefore, since the large metal casing including the metal casing of the meter device 1 and the metal casing 2a operates as the ground plane of the plate-shaped inverted F antenna, the plate-shaped inverted F antenna 3a corresponds to the wavelength. Since it is possible to have a larger ground plane, the change in impedance due to various influences is reduced and the operation is stable, without complicating or increasing the size of the structure. Therefore, the antenna gain does not easily decrease.

In the above-described embodiment, the plate-shaped inverted F
Where the antenna 3a is used, even if it is configured by another plate-shaped inverted antenna, a pattern antenna formed on a printed board, a microstrip antenna, or the like, the antenna can be made short and not bulky. Exert its effects.

Further, the resin casing 4a is A in this embodiment.
Although the BS resin is used, it may be made of a resin such as polypropylene or Teflon.

Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to realize a wireless device for meter-side automatic meter reading, which has a small antenna, a small size, high performance, and a built-in antenna which is not easily influenced by a metal material such as a pipe. Also, the metal housing of the meter device can be used to construct a plate-shaped inverted F antenna. A conductor plate is arranged in parallel with a part of the metal casing surface to form a plate-shaped inverted F antenna. With the above configuration, the metal casing of the meter casing is large with respect to the wavelength, so that when it is used as the ground plane of the plate-shaped inverted F antenna, the impedance of the antenna can be prevented from changing due to various influences.

In the above-described embodiment, the meter device 1 and the meter-side wireless device 7a having the plate-shaped inverted F antenna 3a are formed in separate housings, and the meter-side automatic meter-reading wireless device adapter is detachable from each other. However, FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of the present invention having a different configuration.

To explain this, as shown in the figure, the upper portion of the meter device 1 having the flow rate display portion 12 is a resin casing 10 and the lower portion is a metal casing 11. The resin housing 10 made of non-metal, which is made of non-metal, stores and protects electronic parts for accumulating the amount of gas used, and in the same manner as in the first embodiment, the meter-side radio is used. The metal housing 2a and the plate-shaped inverted F antenna 3a which house the device are built-in, and the metal housing 2a and the plate-shaped inverted F antenna 3a are configured in the same manner as in the case of the first embodiment.

As described above, when the meter device 1 and the metal casing 2a containing the meter-side wireless device are integrally configured, the meter-side wireless device has a metal casing 2a and a plate-shaped inverted F.
Since it is built in the meter device 1 together with the antenna 3a, the assembly and installation work for introducing the automatic meter reading device can be facilitated, the labor can be saved, and the automatic meter reading device can be installed without changing the appearance of the meter device 1. is there.
Further, by adopting the plate-shaped inverted F antenna 3a, the antenna part is configured to be short and compact so as not to be bulky, and the wireless device housing is not overpowered, and the wireless device housing is neither enlarged nor changed in shape. Can be built in. Moreover, the non-metallic resin housing 10 of the meter device 1
It is possible to realize waterproofing and protection from the environment by using a protection structure of an electronic circuit without providing a special member or a case.

Next, FIG. 5 shows a third embodiment of the present invention in which an automatic meter-reading radio is mounted on the T-NCU of the automatic meter-reading system shown in FIG.

Explaining this, the T-NCU 13 is installed by being installed on the front surface of the T-NCU mounting base 14 made of resin, and the T-NCU side wireless device 7b is mounted on the upper part of the front surface of the T-NCU mounting base 14. Inverted F antenna 3b
It is installed and installed together with.

For this installation, the T-NCU side radio unit 7b is built in the metal casing 2b as shown in FIG. 6, and the metal casing 2b and the plate-shaped inverted F antenna 3b on the outside thereof are installed.
Is contained in a resin casing 4b including the antenna surface 3b1 as shown in FIG. Then, all of them are attached to the T-NCU attachment base 14 by the outermost resin casing 4b.

The metal case 2b is a rectangular parallelepiped whose lower surface is open and whose inside is hollow, and a plate-shaped inverted F antenna 3b is constituted by a conductor plate arranged in parallel with the upper surface of the metal case 2b. In this embodiment, the conductor plate was used by drawing an antenna pattern on a single-sided printed board (a glass epoxy resin board was used in this embodiment) as in the first embodiment.

The used frequency of the T-NCU side radio unit 7b is a frequency of 420 MHz band. The T-NCU side wireless device 7b is built in the metal housing 2b, the conductor plate is arranged in parallel on the upper surface 2b2 of the metal housing 2b, and the conductor plate and the metal housing 2b are electrically connected by the metal material connecting portion 8b. Connected to each other. Then, a plate-shaped inverted F antenna is formed with a structure in which a power feeding portion 9b is connected between the conductor plate and the metal casing 2b to feed power between the two. The size of the antenna surface 3a1 of the plate-shaped inverted F antenna 3b is 70 × 70 (mm), and the distance h between the antenna surface 3a and the upper surface 2b2 of the metal housing 2b parallel thereto is h = 10 (mm). ing.

Next, as shown in FIG. 7A, the metal wall surface 15
When the T-NCU side wireless device 7b is attached to the antenna, the antenna surface 3b1 is arranged parallel to the upper surface 2b2 of the metal housing 2b. FIG. 7B shows the metal housing 2b.
2 shows a state in which the front surface 2b1 is arranged in parallel with the front surface 2b1.

The change in impedance for each of (a) and (b) of FIG. 7 is shown in (a1) and (b1) of FIG. FIG. 7A1 shows the change in impedance when the antenna surface 3b1 is the top surface. FIG. 7 (a
In 1), the impedance of the antenna in free space is the impedance when the antenna surface is attached to the upper surface of the metal wall surface. As can be seen from (a1) in FIG. 7, the impedance does not change much even if the wireless device is attached to the metal wall surface, and the gain reduction of the antenna is small.

FIG. 7 (b1) shows the change in impedance when the antenna surface 3b1 is the front surface. Figure 7
In (b1), the impedance of the antenna in free space is the impedance when the antenna is arranged and attached to the front surface of the metal wall surface, as in (a1) of FIG. As can be seen from (b1) in FIG. 7, the change in impedance is larger and the impedance is larger than when the antenna is attached to the upper surface, so the antenna gain is greatly reduced.

From the above, the plate-shaped inverted F antenna 3b of the T-NCU side wireless device 7b attached to the metal wall 15 is provided.
It can be seen that it is better to attach the antenna surface 3a1 in the upper direction.

Further, since the plate-shaped inverted F antenna 3b is used, the height of the antenna can be reduced even if the plate-shaped inverted F antenna 3b is composed of another plate-shaped antenna such as a pattern antenna or a microstrip antenna formed on a printed circuit board. Easy to integrate.

The resin casing 4b is made of ABS in this embodiment.
Although a resin is used, a resin such as polypropylene or Teflon may be used.

In the above-mentioned configuration, the plate-shaped inverted F antenna 3b of the T-NCU side wireless device 7b as well as the meter side wireless device 7a.
The height of can be made significantly smaller than that of the monopole antenna, and a high-performance antenna can be realized similarly to the monopole antenna. Also, the antenna surface 3b1
Since it is incorporated in the resin casing 4b, the waterproof property is improved, and the change in impedance due to the oxidation of the antenna surface 3b1 is small and the decrease in antenna gain can be reduced. Further, by disposing the antenna surface 3b on the upper surface side of the T-NCU, even if the T-NCU is attached to the metal wall surface 15 or the like, the change in the impedance of the antenna can be made small, so that the decrease in the antenna gain can be suppressed. .

In the present embodiment, the wireless device equipped with the T-NCU 13 and the plate-shaped inverted F antenna is configured as a detachable automatic wireless device adapter for automatic meter reading, which is shown in FIG. As in the fourth embodiment, the metal casing 2 is built in the same resin casing, and the wireless device 7 and the T-NCU unit 16 are built in the metal casing 2. Then, by forming a plate-shaped inverted F antenna on the metal casing 2, the casing is integrated. Further, the impedance characteristic of the antenna can be stabilized by increasing the size of the metal housing with respect to the wavelength, and the antenna gain reduction due to various influences can be suppressed. Further, the T-NCU portion may be configured without being built in the metal casing 2. Further, as the antenna, another plate-shaped antenna can realize a wireless device having a small height.

With this configuration, since the T-NCU unit is built in the wireless device, the installation work for introducing the automatic meter-reading system can be saved.

Further, the meter-side wireless device in which the antenna surface of the plate-shaped inverted F antenna in the above embodiment is arranged on the front surface of the meter device and the antenna surface of the plate-shaped inverted F antenna in the above embodiment is parallel to the upper surface of the T-NCU. It is possible to construct an automatic meter-reading system using radio by combining with the T-NCU side radio device arranged in.

According to the above configuration, even when the meter-side wireless device is mounted between the piping pipes above the meter device, the plate-shaped inverted F antenna is not much affected by the piping pipes, and the change in impedance is small. Also, when the T-NCU side wireless device is attached to a metal wall surface, the impedance change of the plate-like inverted F antenna is small. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the gain of the antenna in the entire automatic meter reading system.

[0089]

According to the invention of claim 1 or 9, the antenna of the wireless device on the meter device side or the wireless device on the line terminal device side has a plate-like short and low height. It can be installed without a special space around each wireless device on the side, the degree of freedom of installation of the entire wireless device including the antenna is improved, and it is particularly effective for a meter device-side wireless device with many installation spaces. Further, the antenna can be built in without increasing the size or changing the form of each wireless device, which is more convenient for various handling and installation, and the waterproofness and durability of the antenna can be improved. Moreover, since the antenna is plate-shaped, it is easy to install at a position or orientation that is not affected by surrounding metal objects without impairing the above characteristics, and the antenna characteristics are good and stable.

According to the invention of claim 2 or 10, in addition to the invention of claim 1 or 9, the metal casing of the plate-shaped inverted F antenna has a size corresponding to these in the vicinity of the meter device or the line terminal device. Now, it is possible to realize a more stable plate-shaped inverted F antenna which operates as a ground plane larger than the wavelength used (for example, about 70 cm at 420 MHz) and is less susceptible to the influence of the surroundings.

According to the invention of claim 3, in addition to the invention of claim 2, a metal casing is used by using at least a part of the casing of the meter device, and a new metal casing is prepared for the shared portion. In addition, the wireless device and the meter device can be integrated to facilitate the assembly and installation work when using the wireless automatic meter-reading device, thus saving labor. Therefore, it is most preferable to share the whole.

According to the invention of claim 4, in addition to the invention of claim 2, a wireless device adapter for automatic meter reading, which is attached to an existing meter device by incorporating the wireless device in the metal housing of the plate-shaped inverted F antenna. Can be configured, and can be easily used in an existing meter device by a detachable method.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the third or fourth aspect of the present invention, a metal casing having a plate-shaped inverted F antenna is built in the resin casing, and the whole metal casing is formed. By slightly increasing the size of the antenna, it is possible to reduce the deterioration of the antenna gain due to the increase of the waterproof property with almost no loss of the gain of the antenna and the change of the impedance due to the oxidation of the antenna surface. Moreover, there is less concern that the antenna will be damaged by external force, and a wireless device that is easy to install can be realized.

According to the invention of claim 6 or claim 11, the invention of claim 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 or the invention of claim 9 or 10 respectively further comprises:
Place the wireless communication device between the metal pipes protruding above the meter device with the antenna surface horizontal to the direction of gravity on the ground,
Just by moving the antenna slightly away from the direction in which these pipes face each other, they are sufficiently separated from the pipes to be less susceptible to these effects, the impedance of the antenna does not change significantly, and gain decreases and directivity is reduced. It is possible to realize an omnidirectional antenna with a small change in the horizontal plane.

According to the invention of claim 7, in addition to the invention of claim 6, the wireless device and the meter device mounted with the plate-shaped inverted F antenna formed in separate housings are substantially electrically connected to each other. In a connected state, a large ground plane with the antenna surface connected to both of these metal casings can be formed to prevent the impedance of the antenna from changing due to various effects. Can be kept stable.

According to the invention of claim 8, claims 1, 2 and
In the third, fourth, fifth, or sixth invention, a wireless device including a plate-shaped inverted F antenna is further incorporated in an electronic circuit housing portion made of a non-metallic housing of the meter device to provide a non-metallic housing of the meter device. Waterproofing of the body and protection from the environment can be realized by using the protective structure of the electronic circuit without providing any special member or housing.

According to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, in the tenth aspect of the invention, the influence of the material of the wall surface on the antenna is reduced by orienting the antenna surface vertically to the direction of gravity on the ground. As an automatic meter-reading system that uses, it is resistant to antenna impedance changes due to metal objects.

According to the thirteenth aspect of the present invention, by assembling the wireless device having the plate-shaped antenna and the line terminal device into one unit, the assembly and the installation work when using the wireless automatic meter-reading device are facilitated and the labor is saved. Can be achieved.

According to the invention of claim 14, claim 1,
It is possible to exhibit all of the effects of each of the inventions 2, 6, 9, 10, and 12.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a meter device having a meter-side automatic meter reading wireless device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a plate-shaped inverted F antenna in the wireless device for meter-side automatic meter reading of FIG.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an antenna surface mounting direction of a plate-shaped inverted F antenna mounted on the upper portion of the meter device of FIG. 1 and directivity thereof.

FIG. 4 is a front view of a meter device incorporating a wireless device in which a plate-shaped inverted F antenna is mounted according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a side view of a T-NCU equipped with a T-NCU side automatic meter reading wireless device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of a plate-shaped inverted F antenna inside the T-NCU side automatic meter reading wireless device of FIG. 5;

7 is a T-NCU mounted on the metal wall of FIG.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an antenna surface mounting direction of a plate-shaped inverted F antenna of the wireless device on the side and impedance changes caused thereby.

FIG. 8 is a front view explanatory diagram of a T-NCU incorporating a wireless device in which a plate-shaped inverted F antenna is mounted according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing an automatic meter-reading device using a conventional wireless device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Meter Device 2a, 2b Metal Housing 3a, 3b Plate Antenna 3a1, 3b1 Antenna Surface 4a, 4b Resin Housing 5a, 5b Gas Pipe 6 Metal Pedestal 7a Meter Side Wireless Device 7b T-NCU Side Wireless Device 8a , 8b Metal material connecting portion 9a, 9b Power feeding portion 10 Gas meter resin housing portion 11 Gas meter metal housing portion 12 Flow rate display portion 13 T-NCU 14 Resin T-NCU mounting pedestal 15 Metal wall

Front page continuation (72) Inventor Ban Yasuhiro Osaka Prefecture Kadoma City 1006 Kadoma, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Koichi Ogawa Osaka Kadoma City, Kadoma 1006 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (72) Invention Person Yoshiyuki Yokoamishiro 1006 Kadoma, Kadoma City, Osaka Prefecture Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Yoshio Horiike 1006 Kadoma, Kadoma City Osaka Prefecture Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Kaigan 1-5-20 Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Kiyohisa Ishikawa Kaigan, Minato-ku, Tokyo 1-5-20 Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Hajime Furusawa 1-5-20, Minato-ku, Tokyo Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Masahiro Yasui 4-1-2, Hiranocho, Chuo-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture Osaka Gas Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Akihiko Yokoyama 19-18 Sakurada-cho, Atsuta-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi Toho Gas Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Koichi Ikegawa Nagoya City Aichi Prefecture Subdivision Sakurada-cho No. 19 No. 18 Toho Gas Co., Ltd. in

Claims (14)

[Claims] 1. A meter device for integrating a flow rate of a fluid,
A wireless device for automatic meter reading, comprising a meter-side wireless device, which is arranged near or inside a meter device and wirelessly communicates an integrated value obtained by the integration, wherein a plate-shaped antenna is used as an antenna connected to the wireless device. 2. The plate-shaped antenna includes a metal casing provided near the meter device and a conductor plate provided near the metal casing, and these are electrically connected to each other. The wireless device for automatic meter-reading according to claim 1, wherein the wireless device supplies power. 3. The wireless device for automatic meter reading according to claim 2, wherein the metal housing is provided on at least a part of the meter device, and the plate-shaped antenna is formed on the metal housing portion. 4. The wireless device for automatic meter reading according to claim 2, wherein the metal casing has a built-in wireless device, and the plate-shaped antenna is formed on the metal casing. 5. The wireless device for automatic meter-reading according to claim 3, wherein a metal casing provided with a plate-shaped antenna is built in a resin casing. 6. The automatic meter-reading wireless device according to claim 1, wherein the antenna surface of the plate-shaped antenna is arranged parallel to the direction of gravity on the ground. 7. A meter device, at least a part of which is made of a metal housing, and a metal housing having a built-in wireless device and having a plate antenna are separately formed, and the metal housing is used as the meter device. 7. The automatic meter-reading wireless device according to claim 6, wherein the wireless device is arranged in proximity to or electrically connected to the metal casing part. 8. A measuring unit for measuring a flow rate and the like, which comprises a metal casing,
In a meter device provided with an electronic circuit accommodating part made of a non-metallic housing, a wireless device including a plate antenna is built in the electronic circuit accommodating part. The wireless device for automatic meter reading described. 9. A line terminal device for transmitting a signal such as a flow rate integrated value by a meter device via a telephone line, and a line terminal for wirelessly communicating with a meter side wireless device arranged on the line terminal device side and installed on the meter side. A wireless device for automatic meter reading, which is equipped with a wireless device on the side and uses a plate antenna as an antenna connected to the wireless device on the line terminal side. 10. The plate-shaped antenna includes a metal casing arranged near the line terminal device and a conductor plate arranged near the metal casing, and the conductor plate and the metal casing are provided. 10. The wireless device for automatic meter reading according to claim 9, wherein the device is electrically connected, and power is supplied between both devices. 11. The wireless device for automatic meter-reading according to claim 10, wherein a metal casing provided with a plate-shaped antenna is incorporated in a resin casing. 12. The wireless device for automatic meter reading according to claim 10, wherein the antenna surface of the plate-shaped antenna is arranged perpendicular to the direction of gravity on the ground. 13. The wireless device for automatic meter reading according to claim 9, 10, 11 or 12, wherein a wireless device having a line terminal device and a plate antenna is built in the same housing. 14. A meter device for integrating a flow rate of a fluid, a line terminal device for transmitting a signal of the integrated value of the flow rate, etc. by a telephone line, a meter side wireless device installed on the meter side, and a line. A line terminal device side wireless device that is installed on the terminal side and wirelessly communicates with the meter side wireless device, a metal housing arranged near each of the meter side and line terminal device side wireless devices, and these metal housings. It is equipped with a plate-shaped antenna that electrically connects to a conductor plate arranged in the vicinity and that feeds power between both sides, and arranges the antenna surface of the plate-shaped antenna connected to the meter-side wireless device in parallel with the direction of gravity on the ground. A wireless device for automatic meter reading in which the antenna surface of a plate-shaped antenna connected to the wireless device on the line terminal device side is arranged perpendicular to the direction of gravity on the ground.