JPH11112223A - Antenna device for meter incorporating radio transmission - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the number of parts by connecting a radio communication part to a part of a piping pipe and providing an antenna by means of resonating a part of the piping pipe with a desired frequency. SOLUTION: A gas meter 1 measures gas use quantity and holds measured value information into a memory in the gas meter. A radio communication part 2 is provided in the gas meter for permitting a gas supplier to meter measured value information at a remote place. The radio communication part 2 converts measured value information in the memory in the meter into a high frequency signal. A power feeding part 3 feeds power to the piping pipe antenna part 5 of the piping pipe 4 and radiates a radio wave in space. The piping pipe 4 is formed by resin except for the part of a piping pipe antenna part 5 and high frequency current does not flow. The piping pipe antenna part 5 connected to the gas meter 1 is formed to about λ/4 of the wavelength of the desired frequency and it is resonated as a λ/4 monopole antenna by the physical length of the longitudinal direction of the piping pipe antenna part 5.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a meter antenna device having a wireless communication function for measuring a flow rate of a fluid such as gas or water.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art The configuration of a conventional wireless built-in meter is shown in FIG. In FIG. 7, reference numeral 31 denotes a gas meter for measuring gas usage, 32 denotes a built-in gas meter, and a wireless communication unit for wirelessly communicating gas usage information and the like with the outside.
Reference numeral 3 denotes a display unit for externally displaying the gas usage, 34 denotes a gas pipe connection port for connecting a gas pipe, 35 denotes an antenna connected to a wireless communication unit, and 36 denotes a power supply unit for feeding a radio signal to the antenna. It is.

[0003] The gas meter 31 has a device for performing ultrasonic flow measurement therein, and is smaller in size than a gas meter having a film-type measuring unit. In addition, a wireless communication unit is provided inside for wirelessly measuring the amount of gas used remotely. And the gas meter 3 installed at the customer
The gas usage data measured by 1 is converted into a high-frequency signal, and a radio signal is supplied by a power supply unit 36 to an antenna 35 disposed in the middle of the pipe connection port 34 and protruding into the space, and is radiated as radio waves into the space. Configuration.

[0004]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional configuration, the antenna 35 protrudes into the space above the meter and may be damaged by mischief of a child.
There is also a problem that the pipes made of metal are arranged on both sides of the antenna and the characteristics of the antenna deteriorate. When a meter is installed in a narrow place, there is a problem that, for example, a customer who installs a meter in a space surrounded by a block wall has a spatial restriction in mounting. In addition, there is another problem that the number of components is increased by separately providing the components, the manufacturability is deteriorated, and the cost is increased.

[0005] The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, and maintains the reliability and reduces the number of parts of a wireless built-in type meter without being limited by space and without being damaged by external factors. It is an object of the present invention to provide an antenna mounting configuration that improves manufacturability.

[0006]

According to the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, a part of a pipe connected to a meter is formed as an antenna, resonated at a desired frequency, and connected to a wireless communication unit inside the meter. By configuring the wireless system, an antenna and an indispensable part in a meter called a pipe can be shared, so that the number of parts can be reduced. In addition, since there is no component provided separately from the piping pipe, restrictions on spatial installation are reduced. In addition, since it is integrated with a high-strength part such as a pipe, it is hard to be damaged by external factors. Further, since the antenna does not need to be sandwiched between the pipes, the deterioration of the antenna characteristics due to the pipes is reduced.

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention relates to a meter for measuring the flow rate of a fluid such as gas or water, a radio communication unit which is built in the meter and wirelessly communicates the measured value of the flow rate, And a radio communication unit is connected to a part of the pipe to resonate at a desired frequency to form an antenna. Since the pipe and the antenna can be shared, the number of parts can be reduced, and the productivity can be improved and the production cost can be reduced. Further, since the antenna does not protrude into the space, the restriction on the installation space when installing the meter is reduced. Further, since the antenna is not installed in the space between the metal pipes, deterioration of the antenna characteristics due to the influence of the pipes can be reduced. In addition, the possibility of damaging the antenna due to a child's mischief or the impact of a falling object is reduced, so that the reliability of wireless communication in a meter used for a long time can be ensured.

[0008] Further, there is provided a piping pipe made of a resin material, and a linear antenna is embedded in the piping pipe, formed by a technique such as plating, printing or vapor deposition.
The pipe is attached to the meter and connected to a wireless communication device inside the meter. Since the pipe and the antenna can be shared like the antenna configuration, the number of parts can be reduced, and the productivity can be improved and the production cost can be reduced.

[0009] Further, two or more antennas are formed in the pipe, and the antenna is configured as a diversity antenna. Further, in addition to the above operations and effects, the antenna can be operated as a diversity antenna, so that the gain of the wireless system can be improved without changing any external configuration. Also, a diversity antenna can be realized without increasing the number of parts.

A meter for measuring a flow rate of a fluid such as gas or water, and a resin outer casing formed on the meter, wherein an antenna is embedded, adhered, plated, and printed in the resin outer casing. Alternatively, it is formed by a technique such as vapor deposition. Since the meter resin housing and the antenna can be integrated, the number of parts can be reduced, and the productivity can be improved and the production cost can be reduced. Further, since the space for disposing the antenna can be reduced, the size of the meter itself can be reduced.

An outer housing of the meter and an inner housing made of metal and contained in the outer housing are provided, and a slit is formed in a part of the inner housing to resonate at a desired frequency to constitute an antenna. Things. By forming a slit in the internal metal housing provided inside the meter and supplying power to form a slot antenna, the space for disposing the antenna inside the meter can be reduced, so that the meter itself can be downsized. In addition, since the antenna does not protrude into the space and the meter can be downsized, restrictions on the installation space when installing the meter are reduced.

[0012] The present invention provides a plate antenna having an outer housing of a meter and an inner housing formed of metal and contained in the outer housing, wherein the inner housing is used as a ground conductor of the antenna. By configuring the plate-shaped antenna using the internal metal housing as a ground conductor, the space for disposing the antenna can be reduced and the antenna can be made thinner, so that the meter itself can be reduced in size.

A meter for measuring the flow rate of a fluid such as gas or water, a metal pipe connected to the meter and serving as a flow path of the fluid, and an antenna, wherein the pipe is mounted on the meter It is configured to be attached to a surface different from the provided surface. By adopting this configuration, a structure in which the deterioration of the antenna performance is reduced by causing Joule heat or re-radiation by the pipe in which the radio wave radiated from the antenna always exists is realized.

[0014]

【Example】

(Embodiment 1) Hereinafter, Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 1, 1 is a gas meter for measuring gas usage, 2 is a wireless communication unit built in the main body of the gas meter 1, 3 is a power supply unit for a high-frequency signal provided in the wireless communication unit, and 4 is a gas supply. Pipes for pipes, 5
Is a gas pipe antenna connected to the power supply unit 3 of the wireless communication unit 2.

Next, detailed operations and operations will be described. The gas meter 1 measures the amount of gas used by the customer, and stores the measured value information in a memory inside the gas meter. A wireless communication unit 2 is provided inside the gas meter so that the gas supplier can remotely read the measured value information from the meter. The wireless communication unit 2 converts the measurement value information held in the internal memory of the meter into a high-frequency signal, and the feed unit 3 controls the pipe pipe antenna unit 5 of the pipe 4.
And radiates radio waves to the space. The piping pipe 4 is made of resin except for the piping pipe antenna part 5 and does not flow high-frequency current. The pipe pipe antenna section 5 connected to the gas meter 1 is formed with a wavelength of the desired frequency of about λ / 4, and resonates as a λ / 4 monopole antenna by the physical length of the pipe pipe antenna section 5 in the longitudinal direction. I have.

In the description of the present embodiment, the pipe 4
Has been described as being made of resin. However, by using means for increasing the impedance at a desired frequency at the connection portion with the pipe pipe antenna section 5, even if the pipe 4 is made of a metal material, The antenna unit 5 can be configured to operate as an antenna.
Further, in the present embodiment, it has been described that the measured value information is handled in the wireless communication unit 2. However, other control information such as gas shutoff valve control information can be handled, and the same effect is obtained. Although it has been described that the piping pipe antenna unit 5 is resonated as a λ / 4 monopole antenna, a matching circuit and the like are connected to the feeding unit 3 of the wireless communication unit 2 and the piping pipe antenna 5.
, And resonated at a desired frequency at another antenna length such as λ / 2. The gas meter may use a film type or an electronic type such as an ultrasonic type as a means for measuring the gas flow rate. In this description, a gas meter is used, but a water meter or the like can be similarly configured.

As described above, according to the configuration of the first embodiment, since the pipe 4 and the antenna can be shared, the number of parts can be reduced, and the productivity can be improved and the production cost can be reduced. Further, since the antenna does not protrude into the space, the restriction on the installation space when installing the meter is reduced. Further, since the antenna is not installed in the space between the metal pipes, deterioration of the antenna characteristics due to the influence of the pipe 4 can be reduced. In addition, since the antenna does not extend outside the meter, the possibility of damage to the antenna due to the impact of children's mischief or falling objects is reduced, and the reliability of wireless communication in meters used for a long time can be ensured. Has the effect.

(Embodiment 2) Hereinafter, Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 2, the same reference numerals are given to the same components as those in the above embodiment, and the description will be omitted. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 6 denotes a linear antenna formed on a part of the resin pipe 4. The second embodiment is different from the second embodiment in that an antenna is formed on or inside a pipe. In the above embodiment, a part of the piping pipe itself is formed as an antenna.

Next, the operation and function will be described. As in the above embodiment, the measurement value information is converted into a radio signal by the radio communication unit 2 inside the gas meter 1 and formed on the pipe 4 by the power supply unit 3. Is supplied to the linear antenna 6. The supplied radio signal is transmitted to the linear antenna 6.
Is radiated into the space as radio waves. In this embodiment, the linear antenna is formed as a monopole antenna. The monopole antenna is formed at about λ / 4 of the desired frequency. The linear antenna 6 (monopole antenna) is formed at the end where the pipe 4 and the gas meter 1 are connected, and is configured to be embedded in the surface of the pipe 4. The linear antenna 6
May be formed on the surface of the resin-made pipe 4 by other methods such as sticking, plating, printing or vapor deposition other than embedding. Further, it may not be the surface of the pipe 4 and may be embedded in the inner surface or the resin itself to be integrally molded. Although the linear antenna 6 has been described as a monopole antenna, the linear antenna 6 can be similarly configured by using another linear antenna such as a dipole antenna, a helical antenna, a loop antenna, or a linear inverted F antenna.

Next, a configuration in which two pipes 4 are used will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 3, the linear antenna 6 is formed on two pipes 4, and feeds power to the two linear antennas 6 by the feed unit 3 of the wireless communication unit 2. Then, the wireless communication unit 2 operates as a space diversity antenna to reduce a drop in the reception level such as fading due to the propagation environment. Note that two or more linear antennas 6 may be formed in one pipe 4. In the present embodiment, it has been described that the measured value information is handled in the wireless communication unit 2. However, other control information such as gas shutoff valve control information can be handled, and the same effect is obtained. Although it has been described that the linear antenna 6 is resonated as a λ / 4 monopole antenna, a matching circuit or the like is inserted between the feeding unit 3 of the wireless communication unit 2 and the linear antenna 6, and other components such as λ / 2 are used. The antenna length may be resonated at a desired frequency. The gas meter may be an electronic meter such as a film type or an ultrasonic type as a means for measuring a gas flow rate. In this description, a gas meter is used, but a water meter or the like can be similarly configured.

As described above, according to the configuration of the second embodiment, since the linear antenna 6 can be integrated with the pipe 4, the number of parts can be reduced, and the productivity can be improved and the production cost can be reduced. Further, since the antenna does not protrude into the space, restrictions on the installation space when installing the meter are reduced. Further, since the antenna is not installed in the space between the metal pipes 4, deterioration of the antenna characteristics due to the influence of the pipes can be reduced. In addition, the possibility of damaging the antenna due to the impact of children's mischief or falling objects is reduced, so that the reliability of wireless communication in a meter used for a long time can be ensured. In addition, by using two or more piping pipes 4, the antenna can be operated as a diversity antenna, and the gain of the wireless system can be improved without changing the external configuration. Also, a diversity antenna can be realized without increasing the number of parts.

(Embodiment 3) Hereinafter, Embodiment 3 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 4, the same components as those in the above-described embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.
In FIG. 4, 7 is a pipe connection port, and 8 is an outer casing made of a gas meter resin. The present embodiment is different from the above embodiment in that the linear antenna 6 is formed by being embedded in a resin gas meter outer casing.

Next, the operation and operation will be described. As in the above-described embodiment, information communicated by the wireless communication unit 2 inside the gas meter is converted into a wireless signal and embedded in the power supply unit 3 on the surface of the gas meter resin outer casing. To feed the linear antenna 6. Then, the supplied wireless signal is radiated as radio waves into space via the linear antenna 6. In the present embodiment, the linear antenna 6 is configured as a dipole antenna, and has a length of about λ / 2 of a desired frequency. In addition, the configuration of the gas meter is additionally described in that a piping pipe is connected to the piping pipe connection port 7 so that gas flows into and out of the gas meter. The linear antenna 6 may be formed on the surface of the resin outer housing 8 by another method such as sticking, plating, printing or vapor deposition other than embedding. Further, it may not be the surface of the resin outer housing 8 but may be embedded in the inner surface or the resin itself to be integrally molded. Although the linear antenna 6 has been described as a dipole antenna, a monopole antenna,
The same configuration can be made by using another linear antenna such as a helical antenna, a loop antenna, or a linear inverted F antenna. The gas meter may be a film type or an electronic type such as an ultrasonic type as a means for measuring the gas flow rate. In this description, a gas meter is used, but a water meter or the like can be similarly configured.

As described above, according to the configuration of this embodiment, the meter resin housing and the antenna can be integrated, so that the number of parts can be reduced, and the productivity can be improved and the production cost can be reduced. Further, since the space for disposing the antenna can be reduced, the size of the meter itself can be reduced. Further, since the antenna does not protrude into the space, restrictions on the installation space when installing the meter are reduced. Further, since the antenna is not installed in the space between the metal pipes, deterioration of the antenna characteristics due to the influence of the pipes can be reduced. In addition, the possibility of damaging the antenna due to a child's mischief or the impact of a falling object is reduced, so that the reliability of wireless communication in a meter used for a long time can be ensured.

(Embodiment 4) FIG. 5 shows Embodiment 4 of the present invention.
This will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 5, the same components as those in the above embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description is omitted. In FIG. 5, reference numeral 9 denotes an internal metal housing formed inside the gas meter, and reference numeral 10 denotes a slit formed in a part of the internal metal housing.

Next, the configuration will be described. An internal metal housing is formed inside the gas meter, and a radio communication circuit, a control circuit, a flow rate measuring device of the gas meter 1 and the like are provided in the internal metal housing 9. It is configured to be enclosed and shielded. A slit 10 having a long side of about λ / 2 of a desired frequency for performing wireless communication is formed in a part of the internal metal housing 9.
Is formed. A slot antenna is formed by feeding a wireless signal to the slit 10 from the power feeding unit 3 of the wireless communication unit to the long side of the slit 10. The slit length does not need to be λ / 2. By inserting a matching element between the slits, the slit length can be reduced and resonance can be obtained at a desired frequency. The gas meter may be an electronic meter such as a film type or an ultrasonic type as a means for measuring the gas flow rate. In this description, a gas meter is used, but a water meter or the like can be similarly configured.

As described above, according to the configuration of this embodiment, the space for disposing the antenna inside the meter can be reduced by forming the slit 10 in the internal metal housing 9 provided inside the meter and supplying power to the meter. Be able to downsize. In addition, since the antenna does not protrude into the space and the meter can be downsized, restrictions on the installation space when installing the meter are reduced. Further, since the antenna is not installed in the space between the metal pipes, deterioration of the antenna characteristics due to the influence of the pipes can be reduced. In addition, the possibility of damaging the antenna due to a child's mischief or the impact of a falling object is reduced, so that the reliability of wireless communication in a meter used for a long time can be ensured.

Embodiment 5 Hereinafter, Embodiment 5 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
This will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 6, the same components as those in the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted. In FIG. 6, 11 is a plate antenna, 12 is a short-circuit portion for grounding a part of the plate antenna to a ground conductor, and 13 is a pipe pipe mounting surface on which the pipe 4 is mounted on the gas meter. The fifth embodiment differs from the fifth embodiment in that a plate antenna is formed using the internal metal housing as a ground conductor. Another point is that the antenna mounting surface is arranged on a surface different from the surface on which the piping pipe is mounted.

Next, the structure will be described. An internal metal housing 9 is provided inside a resin outer housing 8 of the gas meter, and the internal metal housing 9 measures a wireless communication unit, a control circuit, or a gas flow rate. This is a configuration including a measurement unit and the like. A plate antenna 11 is arranged parallel to one surface of the internal metal housing 9, and a part of the plate antenna 11 is grounded to the internal metal housing 9 by a short portion 12. At this time, the internal metal housing 9 is operated as a ground conductor of the plate antenna. Then, a wireless signal is transmitted from a wireless communication unit included in the inner metal housing 9 to the plate antenna and the inner metal housing 9 by the power feeding unit 3.
(Ground conductor). At this time, the plate antenna is configured as a plate inverted F antenna.

A pipe 4 is connected to the upper part of the gas meter. The plate antenna 11 is arranged on a surface different from the pipe mounting surface 13. By arranging in this manner, when the pipe 4 is made of metal, a decrease in antenna gain is reduced. The gas meter may be an electronic meter such as a film type or an ultrasonic type as a means for measuring the gas flow rate. In this description, a gas meter is used, but a water meter or the like can be similarly configured.

According to the structure of the present invention, a plate antenna can be formed by using the internal metal housing as a ground conductor to reduce the space for arranging the antenna. Also, since the antenna is a plate antenna, it can be made thin and the meter itself can be reduced in size. can do. Further, since the antenna does not protrude into the space and the size of the meter can be reduced, the installation space is less restricted when the meter is installed. Further, since the antenna is not installed in the space between the metal pipes, deterioration of the antenna characteristics due to the influence of the pipes can be reduced. In addition, the possibility of damaging the antenna due to a child's mischief or the impact of a falling object is reduced, so that the reliability of wireless communication in a meter used for a long time can be ensured.

The antenna is configured to be mounted on a surface different from the surface on which the pipe is mounted on the meter so that radio waves radiated from the antenna always become Joule heat or re-emitted by the pipe in which the radio wave is always present. This can reduce the decrease in antenna performance.

In all of the embodiments of the present invention, the configuration of an electronic meter such as an ultrasonic type is described, and an electronic meter without a membrane type measuring unit can be made smaller than a membrane type meter, and the installation place can be reduced. The effect of eliminating spatial constraints is great.

[0034]

As described above, the antenna device of the wireless built-in type meter according to the present invention connects the wireless communication unit to a part of the pipe and resonates at a desired frequency to form an antenna, so that the pipe and the antenna are shared. As a result, the number of parts can be reduced, and the productivity can be improved and the production cost can be reduced. Further, since the antenna does not protrude into the space, the restriction on the installation space when installing the meter is reduced. Further, since the antenna is not installed in the space between the metal pipes, deterioration of the antenna characteristics due to the influence of the pipes can be reduced. Also, since the possibility of damaging the antenna due to the impact of children's mischief or falling objects is reduced,
The reliability of wireless communication in a meter used for a long time can be ensured.

Further, the invention has a piping pipe made of a resin material, and a linear antenna is buried, attached, plated, printed or vapor-deposited in the piping pipe, so that the piping pipe and the antenna can be shared. Therefore, the number of parts can be reduced, and the productivity can be improved and the production cost can be reduced.

Further, by configuring two or more pipes as antennas, the antenna can be operated as a diversity antenna, and the gain of the radio system can be improved without changing the external configuration. Also, a diversity antenna can be realized without increasing the number of parts.

Further, the outer casing made of resin is provided, and the antenna is embedded in the outer casing made of resin, and is formed by a technique such as plating, printing, or vapor deposition. As a result, the number of parts can be reduced, and the productivity can be improved and the production cost can be reduced. Further, since the space for disposing the antenna can be reduced, the size of the meter itself can be reduced.

By providing a slit in the inner metal housing inside the resin outer housing to form a slot antenna, it is possible to reduce the number of parts, improve productivity and reduce production cost. Further, since the space for disposing the antenna can be reduced, the size of the meter itself can be reduced.

Further, by forming a plate-shaped antenna by using the inner metal housing inside the resin outer housing as a ground conductor, the number of parts can be reduced, and the productivity can be improved and the production cost can be reduced. Further, since the space for disposing the antenna can be made thin, the size of the meter itself can be reduced.

Also, by configuring the antenna on the meter on a surface different from the surface on which the pipe is mounted, radio waves radiated from the antenna may become Joule heat or be re-emitted by the pipe where there is always an electric wave. Therefore, there is an effect that it is possible to reduce a decrease in antenna performance due to this.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an antenna device using a piping pipe as an antenna according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of an antenna device in which an antenna is embedded in a piping pipe according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a diversity antenna device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of an antenna device when an antenna is embedded in a resin outer housing according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of an antenna device when a slot antenna is formed in an internal metal housing according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of an antenna device when a plate antenna is formed in an internal metal housing according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram of a conventional antenna device of a built-in wireless meter.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Gas meter 2 Radio communication part 4 Pipe pipe 6 Linear antenna 8 Resin outer housing 9 Internal metal housing 10 Slit 11 Plate antenna 13 Piping pipe mounting surface

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code FI H01Q 1/24 H01Q 1/24 Z

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A meter for measuring a flow rate of a fluid such as gas or water, a wireless communication unit built in the meter for wirelessly communicating a measured value of the flow rate, and a flow path of the fluid connected to the meter. An antenna device for a built-in wireless meter, comprising: a pipe pipe, wherein the wireless communication unit is connected to a part of the pipe pipe and a part of the pipe pipe resonates at a desired frequency to form an antenna. 2. A meter for measuring a flow rate of a fluid such as gas, water, etc., a wireless communication unit incorporated in the meter for wirelessly communicating a measured value of the flow rate, and a pipe connected to the meter and formed of a resin material. An antenna device for a built-in wireless meter, comprising a pipe, wherein a linear antenna is formed on the pipe. 3. The antenna device for a built-in wireless meter according to claim 2, wherein two or more antennas are formed on the pipe and the antenna is a diversity antenna. 4. An antenna device having a resin outer housing for measuring a flow rate of a fluid such as gas or water, and a wireless built-in type meter having an antenna formed on the resin outer housing. A meter for measuring a flow rate of a fluid such as gas, water, or the like, provided with a resin outer housing, and an internal metal housing formed of metal and contained in the resin outer housing; An antenna device of a wireless built-in type meter which forms a slot in a part of a metal housing and resonates at a desired frequency to form a slot antenna. 6. An antenna having a resin outer housing and measuring a flow rate of a fluid such as gas or water, and an internal metal housing formed of metal and contained in the resin outer housing. An antenna device for a wireless built-in type meter, wherein a plate antenna is formed on the internal metal housing serving as a ground conductor. 7. The antenna device for a wireless built-in meter according to claim 4, wherein the antenna is mounted on a surface different from a surface on which a piping pipe connected to an outer housing of the meter is mounted.