JPS6033517Y2 - Indication amount conversion device for instrument counters, etc. - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] This invention converts the measured values of meter counters, etc., which indicate the consumption of gas, water, electricity, etc., into binary-coded electrical alternating current signals so that they can be transmitted over telephone lines, etc. The present invention relates to an indication amount conversion device for an instrument counter, etc.

Recently, an automatic remote meter reading system using telephone lines has begun to be considered for the purpose of streamlining meter reading work for gas, water, electricity, etc. and checking usage in a timely manner, and a device for converting the indicated amount of meter counters used for this system has been developed. has been done.

However, in the conventional indication quantity converter, each number attached to the number wheel of the instrument counter is attached with a corresponding binary code (binary code) to the number wheel using magnetic information or unevenness. The method used was to convert this magnetic information or unevenness into an electrical signal using a magnetic head or microswitch placed in parallel with the number wheel, modulate this signal with an oscillator, and transmit it over a telephone line.

For this reason, in the conventional device described above, it is necessary to attach magnetic information or irregularities to the number wheel of the instrument counter, and the configuration of the number wheel itself has to be changed, and the magnetic information or irregularities, etc. must be added to the number wheel of the instrument counter. The use of magnetic heads and microswitches for reading requires complex electrical circuits such as transmitters and modulation circuits, and has the disadvantage of requiring an external power source to drive these electrical circuits. Ta.

The purpose of the present invention is to eliminate the various drawbacks of the above-mentioned prior art, to eliminate the need for any complicated electrical circuits, to eliminate the need for an external power supply, and to ensure the amount of information indicated by an instrument counter, etc., with a simple configuration. An object of the present invention is to provide an indication amount converting device for a meter counter, etc., which can convert a signal into an electrical signal useful for a transmission line such as a telephone line.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an indication amount conversion device for an instrument counter, etc., which can be attached to an existing instrument counter as is.

The basic structure of the present invention includes a plurality of cam members that are rotatably driven by a measuring number wheel of a measuring instrument such as a meter counter, and that convert the measured value of the measuring instrument into a binary code, and a plurality of cam members fixed at one end. and a vibrator disposed with the other end facing each cam face of the cam member, and means located opposite the vibrator and converting the vibration of the vibrator into an electrical alternating current signal. and a V-shaped groove formed in each cam face of the cam member, one end being fixed, the other end facing the vibrator, and engaging with the V-shaped groove. a flexible vibrating hand holding member formed with a V-shaped bent portion;
They are a means for vibrating the vibrator, and an indication amount converting device such as a measuring instrument counter.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

1 to 7 are explanatory diagrams of a first embodiment of the present invention.

The machine frame 1 includes n cam members 2.2', 2'', the number of which corresponds to the number of digits of data to be converted.

...'2n-1 are arranged side by side, and each is rotatably supported.

In other words, the meter display on gas meters and the like is usually 8 digits, but since there is little error even if only the first 4 digits are used as data, there are cases where the first 4 digits are used as data. When only four digits are used as data, the number of cam members 2.2', 2", . . . 2n-1 is four.

In FIG. 1, n cam members 2.2', 2"...
Only the cam member 2 closest to the front of 2°-1 is shown.

The cam faces of the cam members 2.2', 2", . . . 2n-1 have V-shaped grooves 2a, 2a, 2a, 2, respectively.
2b, 2b, 2b, 2b, which also form part of the cam face, and these (7) V-shaped grooves 2a.
, 2a, 2a, 2a are formed alternately at a certain distance.

Cam member 2'. ...2n-1, teeth 2c are continuously formed at regular intervals on one side, and carry teeth 2d are formed on the other side of the cam members 2.2', 2, respectively.
'.

-, 2''-' (7) The peaks 2b, 2b, 2b, are formed to be shifted in phase by a certain distance from the 2b.

The carry tooth 2d forms a kind of toothless gear.

On the other hand, a small gear 2e is provided on the outer surface of the cam member 2 closest to you.
is fixed, and the small gear 2e engages with a measuring number wheel 4 of a measuring instrument such as a gas meter (not shown) via the intermediate gear 3.

The number wheel 4 is a number wheel representing the lowest digit of the number of digits of data to be converted.

Also, on the inner surface of the cam member 2 closest to you, teeth are formed that are continuous at regular intervals, similar to the other cam members 2', 2'', . . . .

Between the mutually adjacent cam members 2.2', . . . 2n-t, carry gears 5° 5.5.
... are located respectively.

Now, to explain based on FIG. 4, the cam members 2' and 2"
A carry gear 5 is rotatably arranged between the two, and wide teeth 5a, 5a, . . . are formed at regular intervals on this gear 5.

Between these wide teeth 5a, 5a,... are narrow teeth 5b.
, 5b, . . . are formed, and narrow teeth 5b, 5b, .
are always in mesh with the teeth 2c of the cam member 2', and the aforementioned wide teeth 5a, 5a, . . . It is designed to engage at the same time.

Valve holders 5, 5', 5'', etc. that are removed from flexible members.

5n-1 is fixed and held at one end to the machine frame 1, and the other end is connected to each cam member 2.2', 2'', . . . , 2n-1.
They are arranged at positions corresponding to 1.

In this way, the valve retainers 5.5', 5", ... 5n-1 have a one-to-one correspondence with each cam member 2.2', 2", ... 2n-1. Since the valve holder is 5゜5'
, 5", . . . , 5°-1 are simultaneously the respective vibrators 6a, 6a', 6a", . . 6 an of the vibration valve 6, which will be described later.
""1 also corresponds to each other in a one-to-one correspondence.

The valve holders 5.5', 5", . . . 5n-1 have V-shaped bent portions 5a, 5a/, 5a" in the middle, respectively.

... 5an-1 is formed, and the ■-shaped bent portions 5a, 5
a', 5a'',... 5an-1 is valve holder 5.5
',5''.

... 5n-1 is constantly engaged with the cam faces of the corresponding cam members 2.2', 2", . . . , 2n-1 due to its own elastic force.

A vibration valve 6 is also mounted on the machine frame 1 with one end fixedly attached, and cam members 2゜2', . . . are attached to the other end of the vibration valve 6.
The vibrators 6a respectively correspond to 2n-i.

5a', $a", ... 61-1 are formed.

The vibrators 6at6''t...6an-1 have the same length.

Vibrator 6a, 6a't 6a'',... 6an-1
A pickup 7 is disposed at a certain distance from each upper surface of the pickup 7, and a coil 8 for output extraction is wound around the pickup 7.

The end of the pickup 7 is fixed to the machine frame 1 via a magnet 9, and the magnet 9, the pickup 7, the vibrator 6at6"t...
- 61-1, a magnetic circuit X is formed by the vibration valve 6.

Each vibrator 6a, ea/, 6a", . . . , 6 of the vibration valve 6
A drum 10 is rotatably supported and disposed in front of the tip of the drum 1-1, and vibrators 6a, aa/
, 6a", ... 6an-1 pins 10a, 10a', 10a", ..., 10a"-1 for vibrating
is installed protrudingly.

Pins 10a, 10a', 10a'',... 1
g Since pin 1-1 is arranged linearly, pin 10
a, 10a', lea", . . . vlOa"-1 can sequentially repel the vibrators 6a, 6a'w 5a", . . . 61-1.

11 is a barrel provided in a music box or the like, and a mainspring is housed inside.

The drum 10 can be rotated by transmitting the released energy of the mainspring to the drum 10 as a rotational force via the gear train 12.

Another gear train 13 meshes with the gear train 12, and the gear train 1
3 engages with a rotatably provided windshield 14.

A control member 15 is disposed in the vicinity of the wind blower 14 so as to be able to move in and out of the rotation area of the wind blower 14, and the control member 15 moves in and out in conjunction with a plunger or the like (not shown).

The operation of the first embodiment will be explained below.

The number wheel 4 on an instrument counter such as a gas meter is the number wheel 4.
This is a counter for increasing the number by rotating one number character when the display of the lower number wheel changes from "9" to "0".

The rotation of the number wheel 4 causes the cam member 2 to rotate via the intermediate gear 3 and small gear 2e, and the cam member 2 moves its cam face from the peak portion 2b to the V-shaped groove 2a, or from the ■-shaped groove 2a. The rotation of the cam member 17a is hereinafter referred to as one step.

). When the number wheel 4 further rotates by one character and thereby the cam member 2 rotates one step, the carry teeth 2d of the cam member 2' and the wide teeth 5a of the carry gear 5 mesh with each other, and the cam One step rotation of member 2 is transmitted to cam member 2', and cam member 2' rotates one step.

In other words, every time the lower cam member rotates 2 steps, the upper cam member rotates 1 step, and as the number wheel 1 rotates, the cam members 2.2', 2'', . . . 2n-1 will repeat this operation sequentially.

In this way, a binary carry is performed by the cam members 2.2', 2", . . . 2n-i.

Here, the peaks 2b of the cam members 2.2', 2'', . If it corresponds to cam member 2.
2', 2'', . . . 2n-1 converts the mutual display of the number wheel 4 of the instrument counter into a binary display.

And valve holder 5.5', 5".sa・, 5"-'
V-shaped bent portions 5a, 5a', 5a''.

... 51-1 is the cam member 2.2', ... 2 n
-1, as shown in FIG. If so, as shown in FIG. 1, the corresponding vibrators 6a, 6a/,...
It is far from 61-1.

In this way, as the instrument counter such as a gas meter operates and the number wheel 4 rotates, the cam members 2.2', 2'',
... 2n-1 rotates in steps, and the mutual display on the number wheel 4 is converted into a binary display.

Here, if it is desired to read the amount indicated by the meter counter, the control member 15 is moved upward in FIG. 3 by an external signal, and the engagement between the wind blower 14 and the control member 14 is released.

As a result, the restriction on the rotation of the wheel train 13 is released, and the release energy of the mainspring is transmitted to the drum 10 via the wheel train 12, causing the drum 10 to rotate.

As the drum 10 rotates, the pins 10a to lea''-' sequentially repel the vibrators 6a to 6an-1.

As the vibrators 6a to 6an-1 vibrate, the gap between the pickup 7 and the vibrators 6a to 6an-1 changes, so the coil 8 with the changed magnetic resistance of the magnetic circuit X has this magnetic resistance. An induced voltage is generated due to changes in (changes in magnetic flux).

This induced voltage has an alternating current waveform as shown in FIG. 5, and the frequency is determined by the frequency of the vibrators 6a to 6an-1, and is approximately 300 to 3000 Hz.

This almost coincides with the permissible frequency band of telephone lines and the like.

Also, the vibration state of the oscillators differs depending on whether or not the valve holders 5 to 5n-1 are holding down the oscillators 6a to 61-1. When the oscillators are not held down by the valve holders, the vibration state is as shown in Fig. 5A. The vibration of the oscillator continues for a long time, but when the oscillator is held down by the valve holder, the vibration of the oscillator is absorbed by the valve holder and stops immediately, as shown in the opening of the same figure.

In this way, from the output end of the coil 8, the waveforms shown in FIG.

In this way, in the first embodiment, since data is generated in series, the oscillators 6a to 6an-'' need only have approximately the same length, and the frequencies of the oscillators 6a to 61-1 can be adjusted by tuning the valves, etc. There is no need to decide exactly.

This waveform is transmitted by a transmitting means (not shown) using a telephone line, and is received by a receiving circuit as shown in FIG.

This receiving operation will be explained next. First, a waveform as shown in FIG. 7A is sent from the telephone line, and this is amplified by the amplifier 16 to obtain a waveform as shown in B.

This B waveform is detected by a wave detector 17 to obtain a C waveform, this C waveform is smoothed by a smoothing circuit 18 to obtain a D waveform, and this D waveform is detected at a constant level by a level detection circuit 19 to obtain a C waveform. Obtain a similar square wave.

The pulse width of the C waveform is long when it shows "1", and short when it shows "0°".

Based on the rising signal of the C waveform, the pulse generator 20 generates a pulse train F having a constant width, and this pulse train F is delayed by a delay circuit 21 for a certain period of time to obtain the C waveform.

This C waveform and the C waveform are compared by the determination circuit 22, and the C waveform is
When a waveform pulse exists, if the C waveform is at H level, a logic "1" is generated, and if the C waveform is at an L level, a logic "1" is generated.
Generates 0゛.

The counter 23 counts the F waveform and generates a termination signal when a predetermined number of pulses have arrived.

In response to this end signal, etc., the control member 15 is moved downward in FIG. 2 to stop the rotation of the drum.

By inputting these C waveforms, C waveforms, end signals, etc. to the CPU 24, automatic meter reading can be performed by a computer.

In the above explanation, only the data representing the binary display of the counter is transmitted by the transducers 6a to 61-1, but by further increasing the number of transducers, valve holders, and pins, data development signals,
It may also be possible to transmit a data end signal or the like.

Also, if you do not want to transfer data to a telephone line, etc., use cam members 2 to 2.
Directly read the V-shaped groove 2a or peak 2b of the cam member by placing a microswitch, piezoelectric element, etc. on n-1, and convert the binary code generated by the V-shaped groove 2a and peak 2b into an electrical signal. You can also do it.

FIG. 8 shows a second embodiment of the present invention, and the feature of this embodiment is that a vibrator 25a formed in the vibrating valve 25
' to 251 are formed so that their lengths are sequentially shortened, and the pin rows 26a't are bored in the drum 10.
26b't 26C'9-... are arranged in parallel in a row.

According to this embodiment, the lengths of the vibrators 25a' to 25a"'' are successively shortened, so that their vibration frequencies are successively increased.

If such a vibrator and drum are used in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the vibrators 25a' to 25a'' corresponding to each digit of the binary code indicated by the cam members 2 to 2n-1 will be generated.
The vibration frequencies of these oscillators 2 are all different, so
5a' to 251 are simultaneously flipped by pins 26a' to 26a'', and an output waveform in which each frequency is mixed can be extracted from the output end of the coil 8.

When reproducing this data on the receiving side, the data can be reproduced by separating each frequency component through a filter corresponding to each frequency.

In this method, data is transmitted in parallel instead of serially as in the previous embodiment, so that the transmission time can be shortened.

FIG. 9 shows a third embodiment of the present invention, and the feature of this embodiment is that the binary code representing the number on the number wheel is made to correspond to the vibration letter 27a' of the vibration valve 27. is simultaneously repelled by the pin set 28a' to obtain an alternating current signal containing four types of frequency components from the output end of the coil 8.

Then, at the same time, the vibration letter 27b is moved by the pin set 28b'.
' is rejected, so an AC signal indicating the binary code of the number wheel is obtained from the coil 8.

By performing this operation until the pin set 28d' repels the vibrating letter 27d', the data of the number wheel can be taken out in series.

Needless to say, the mixed frequency components of the AC signal can be easily separated by passing each frequency through a filter on the receiving side.

As explained above, according to the present invention, the cam member has v
By forming a letter-shaped groove and forming a V-shaped bent part on the valve holder that engages with this number wheel, the binary code "°O" and "1" can be detected accurately. will occur.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, there is no need for any complicated electrical circuits or external power supply, and at the same time, the indicated amount of the meter counter etc. can be reliably transferred to the transmission line such as the telephone line with a simple configuration. It is possible to provide an indicated quantity converting device such as a meter counter that can convert into an electrical signal.

It is also possible to provide an indication amount conversion device for an instrument counter or the like that can be attached to an existing instrument counter as is.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a front view of the installation, Fig. 2 is a front view showing the operation of the cam member, Fig. 3 is a plan view of the installation along the ■-curve in Fig. 1,
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the cam member, Fig. 5 is a waveform diagram showing the vibration of the vibrator, Fig. 6 is a reproduction circuit diagram, Fig. 7 is a waveform diagram, and Fig. 8 is a waveform diagram showing the vibration of the vibrator.
The figure is a plan view of the device of another embodiment, and FIG. 9 is a plan view of the device of still another embodiment. 1...Machine frame, 2-2n-1...Cam member, 2a...V-shaped groove, 2b...Mountain part, 5... ...Valve holder, 5a to 51-1...
V-shaped bent portion, 6... Vibration valve, 6a to 6an-
1... Vibrator, 7... Pickup,
8... Coil, 9... Magnet, 10...
...Drum, 10a~10a""...Pin.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] A plurality of cam members which are rotationally driven by a measuring number wheel of a measuring instrument such as a meter counter and which convert the measured value of the measuring instrument into a binary code, and one end of which is fixed. , and a vibrator disposed with the other end facing each cam face of the cam member, and a vibrator located opposite the vibrator, and converting the vibration of the vibrator into an electrical alternating current signal. means, a V-shaped groove formed in each cam face of the cam member, one end being fixed, the other end facing the vibrator, and engaging with the V-shaped groove; A flexible vibrator holding member formed with a V-shaped bent portion; a means for vibrating the vibrator; and an indication amount conversion device such as an instrument counter.