Water meter transmitter housing

Abstract

A submetering meter housing is sized and shaped to receive and mount a transmitter circuit board in an integrated fashion to the meter to provide electronic meter monitoring of the submetering meter. The submetering meter housing includes a switch circuit board with a counter reed switch that is connected to the count input of the transmitter circuit board, and positioned to open and close in response to the rotation of a permanent magnet included within the meter, and a tamper reed switch that is connected to the tamper input of the transmitter circuit board, and positioned to close in response to the presence of a permanent magnet included in the meter lens, so that disassembly of the submetering meter which separates the tamper reed switch from the meter lens causes a tamper signal to be transmitted by the transmitter circuit board.

Claims

1. A meter comprising: a. a housing comprising an installer accessible housing portion sized and shaped to receive a transmitter circuit board and a sensor circuit board and couple the transmitter and sensor circuit boards in an integrated fashion to the meter, the transmitter and sensor circuit boards having generally planar surfaces which are approximately perpendicular to each other, the sensor circuit board having a magnetic sensor mounted thereto, b. a register located within the housing, the register responding to flow through the meter to rotate a dial, the dial having a magnetic source mounted thereto and rotating the magnetic source in a plane, wherein the sensor circuit board and rotating magnetic source are positioned by the housing so that, during rotation of the dial, the magnetic source will produce an electromagnetic signal delivered into the installer accessible housing portion, so as to trigger the magnetic sensor mounted to the sensor circuit board located therein to count flow through the meter.

2. The meter of claim 1 wherein the transmitter circuit board includes a signal transmitter and a count input, wherein the magnetic sensor mounted to the sensor circuit board comprises a reed switch, the reed switch connected to the count input of the transmitter circuit board, and positioned to open and close in response to the rotation of a permanent magnet on the dial included within the meter generating the electromagnetic signal.

3. The meter of claim 2 further comprising a. a meter lens, the meter lens incorporating therein a second magnetic source, b. a second magnetic sensor positioned relative to the meter lens so that the second magnetic sensor responds to a presence of the second magnetic source included in the meter lens and thereby generates a tamper signal, the transmitter circuit board including a tamper input connected to the second magnetic sensor to receive the tamper signal.

4. The meter of claim 1 further comprising a. a meter lens, the meter lens incorporating therein a second magnetic source, b. a second magnetic sensor positioned relative to the meter lens so that the second magnetic sensor responds to a presence of the second magnetic source included in the meter lens and generates an electromagnetic signal.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a water meter incorporating a housing for a transmitter circuit board;

(2) FIG. 2 is a reverse perspective view of the water meter with transmitter housing shown in

(3) FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the water meter of FIGS. 1 and 2 taken along lines 3-3 in FIG. 2;

(5) FIG. 3A is a detail view of FIG. 3 showing the position of the tamper detection reed switch and magnet;

(6) FIG. 4 is a disassembled perspective of the water meter of FIG. 2 showing the transmitter circuit board and switch circuit board as they are connected to each other inside of the transmitter housing; and

(7) FIG. 5 is a reverse disassembled perspective view showing the underside of the switch circuit board and the positions of the count and tamper detection reed switches.

(8) The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with a general description of the invention given above, and the detailed description of the embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(9) As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, a water meter 10 in accordance with principles of the present invention measures water flow through pipe section 12. A housing 14 holds a metering apparatus of a type which is conventionally known, which drives mechanical dials within a clear housing lens 16 to create a visual indication of the meter reading.

(10) The meter of FIGS. 1 and 2 further includes an integral transmitter housing 18, which is open at the top to permit the installation of a transmitter and switch circuit board as is described in detail below. A snap fit lens 20 encloses the circuit boards within the housing 18.

(11) As seen in FIG. 3, the circuitry inside of the housing 18 includes elements which detect rotations of a dial 30 inside of the meter lens 16 indicative of water flow, which are held in place by a mounting screw 31. Specifically, a reed switch 32 on switch circuit board 34 extends downward in housing 18 to a position near to where a permanent magnet on dial 30 passes, such that each pass of the permanent magnet creates a switch closure of the reed switch 32. The terminals of reed switch 32 are connected through a connection board 36 to a transmitter board 38, via connectors 40 and 42. Closure of the reed switch 32 terminals causes the transmitter board 38 to transmit a meter count. Notably no external wiring is required to deliver counts from the meter to the transmitter board.

(12) Transmitter board is a mass manufactured transmitter module such as the above-noted Innovonics EN1501-EXT, or a similar module from another manufacturer. The EN1501-EXT includes a four pin connector having ground, power, count and tamper pins. A connection between count and ground is transmitted as a meter count by the transmitter. An open circuit between tamper and ground causes transmission of a tamper alarm by the transmitter.

(13) FIG. 3A illustrates the tamper reed switch 33 which is positioned on the switch circuit board in a location which is adjacent to a permanent magnet 37 embedded in the lens 16, to detect the presence of the magnet 37 or, in the absence thereof, create an open circuit between the tamper and ground pins on the EN1501-EXT which will create a tamper alert. Accordingly, disassembly of the meter or removal of the electronics of the switch board or only the transmitter board from the housing 18 will create a tamper alarm.

(14) FIGS. 4 and 5 show the transmitter board 38 and switch board 34, clarifying the relative positions of the count switch 32 and tamper switch 33 described in the previous Figures. FIG. 4 also shows the relative location of the battery compartment 39 of the transmitter board, which is omitted from the preceding Figures for clarity. The transmitter board 38 further typically includes an on-board antenna. (The EN1501-EXT further includes a reset switch and tamper switch which are not normally used in the present application and not shown in the Figures.)

(15) While the present invention has been illustrated by a description of various embodiments and while these embodiments have been described in considerable detail, it is not the intention of the applicants to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. The invention in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to the specific details, representative apparatus and method, and illustrative example shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of applicant's general inventive concept.