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JP-2026075824-A - Mechanical counters and meters equipped therewith

JP2026075824AJP 2026075824 AJP2026075824 AJP 2026075824AJP-2026075824-A

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a mechanical counter and a meter equipped therewith that can easily reduce the effort required for reading. [Solution] In a mechanical counter used in a flow meter, in which multiple cylinders are arranged in a row, each cylinder comprises a cylindrical drum with letters or symbols written on its circumference and rotatable in the circumferential direction, and an RFID sensor tag placed on the drum that includes a first sensor that detects information regarding the rotation angle of the drum and transmits the information obtained by the first sensor via wireless communication. [Selection Diagram] Figure 1

Inventors

  • 駒木 邦宏
  • 安藤 正道
  • 安藤 優

Assignees

  • 株式会社村田製作所

Dates

Publication Date
20260511
Application Date
20241023

Claims (9)

  1. A mechanical counter used in flow meters, in which multiple cylinders are arranged in a row, Each of the cylinders is, A cylindrical drum with letters or symbols inscribed on its circumference and capable of rotating in the circumferential direction, The system includes an RFID sensor tag which is disposed on the drum and includes a first sensor that detects information regarding the rotation angle of the drum, and which wirelessly transmits the information obtained by the first sensor. Mechanical counter.
  2. The first sensor is an acceleration sensor. The mechanical counter according to claim 1.
  3. In the drum, the two RFID sensor tags are positioned at different locations in the rotational direction of the drum. A mechanical counter according to claim 1 or 2.
  4. Each of the cylinders is, A flat plate is positioned so as not to rotate, intersecting the rotation axis of the aforementioned drum, The plate comprises a pair of semicircular electrodes arranged facing each other on the aforementioned flat plate, The RFID sensor tag includes a second sensor that detects the capacitance value between the pair of electrodes when it comes into contact with the pair of electrodes. The first sensor detects information regarding the rotation angle of the drum as an impedance value, The RFID sensor tag wirelessly transmits the sum of the impedance values obtained by the first and second sensors. A mechanical counter according to claim 1 or 2.
  5. The drum has an opening on one side of the rotating shaft and has a cavity inside. The flat plate is housed in the cavity. The mechanical counter according to claim 4.
  6. The drum has a side surface that intersects with the rotation axis, The aforementioned flat plate is positioned opposite the aforementioned side surface. The mechanical counter according to claim 4.
  7. Each of the cylinders is, A flat plate is positioned so as not to rotate, intersecting the rotation axis of the aforementioned drum, The flat plate comprises a plurality of capacitors of different values arranged radially from the center of the flat plate, The first sensor contacts the electrodes at both ends of any one of the plurality of capacitors in accordance with the rotation of the drum. The mechanical counter according to claim 1.
  8. Each of the cylinders is, A flat plate is positioned so as not to rotate, intersecting the rotation axis of the aforementioned drum, The flat plate comprises a plurality of resistors of different values arranged radially from the center of the flat plate, The first sensor contacts the electrodes at both ends of any one of the plurality of resistors in accordance with the rotation of the drum. The mechanical counter according to claim 1.
  9. A mechanical counter comprising any one of claims 1 to 8, meter.

Description

This invention relates to a mechanical counter and a meter equipped therewith. Traditionally, gas meters or water meters, or other flow meters, have been equipped with mechanical counters that can display the amount of gas or water used. Patent Document 1 describes a gas meter equipped with a mechanical counter. Patent Document 2 describes a system that converts the reading of an accumulator into an electrical signal for automatic meter reading. Japanese Patent Publication No. 2004-151023Japanese Patent Publication No. 2000-357284 Schematic diagram of a cylinder displaying one digit of a mechanical counter.Correspondence table between angle readings from angle sensor and displayed values.An explanatory diagram showing an example configuration of the counting system of Embodiment 1.Schematic diagram of the cylinder of Embodiment 1Perspective view of the cylinderDiagram illustrating the circuit configuration of an RFID sensor tag.Correspondence table between output values of the first and second sensors and displayed values.Schematic diagram of the cylinder in Embodiment 2Graph of the output values of two RFID sensor tags.Correspondence table between the output values and displayed values of the two RFID sensor tags.Plot of the output values of two RFID sensor tags.Schematic diagram of the cylinder of Embodiment 3Schematic diagram of a modified cylinder of Embodiment 3Schematic diagram of a modified cylinder The embodiments described below are all specific examples of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to these configurations. Furthermore, the numerical values, shapes, configurations, steps, and order of steps specifically shown in the following embodiments are examples only and do not limit the present invention. Among the components in the following embodiments, those not described in the independent claim representing the highest-level concept are described as optional components. Also, the configurations in each modified example are similar in all embodiments, and the configurations described in each modified example may be combined. Next, the outline of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 1. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a cylinder 21 that displays one digit of a mechanical counter. Figure 1(a) is a side view of the cylinder 21 as seen from one side, Figure 1(b) is a front view of the cylinder 21, and Figure 1(c) is a side view of the cylinder 21 as seen from the other side. The mechanical counter has multiple cylinders 21 arranged side by side, and each cylinder 21 can display a multi-digit number. Each cylinder 21 is equipped with a cylindrical drum 22 that can rotate in the circumferential direction, a gear 23, a flat plate 24, and an RFID sensor tag 25. The RFID sensor tag 25 has a built-in angle sensor. As the drum 22 rotates, the angle of the RFID sensor tag 25 changes, and the angle sensor detects the angle of the RFID sensor tag 25. The drum 22 has letters or symbols displayed on its circumference; for example, it displays ten digits from 0 to 9 in sequence. The drum 22 rotates 36 degrees to display the next letter. Between displaying one letter and displaying the same letter again, the drum 22 rotates 360 degrees. Figure 2 shows an example of a correspondence table between the angle reading of the angle sensor and the displayed value. Therefore, the value displayed by cylinder 21 can be determined by the angle reading of the angle sensor. The RFID sensor tags 25 placed on each cylinder 21 allow the value displayed by the mechanical counter to be known even at a distance from the mechanical counter. With the configuration described above, wireless numerical reading functionality can be added without requiring significant modifications to the current system. For example, when attached to a mechanical counter on a gas or water meter, the reader can directly read the reading from several meters away, significantly reducing the meter reader's workload and eliminating reading errors. The read values are automatically entered into the system, greatly reducing the effort involved in data entry and cost calculations, and significantly decreasing errors. (Embodiment 1) Next, the schematic configuration of the counting system 1 of Embodiment 1 according to the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 3 and 4. Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of the counting system 1 in Embodiment 1. Figure 4(a) is a side view of the cylinder 21A as seen from direction L in Figure 4(b), and Figure 4(b) is a front view of the cylinder 21A. The counting system 1 comprises a meter 3, a reader 7, and a control device 9. The meter 3 measures the flow rate (usage) of a fluid, such as gas or water. The meter 3 includes a mechanical counter 5, an inlet 11, a measuring unit 13, and an outlet 15. The fluid flows into the meter 3 from the inlet 11, and the amount passing through is measured by the metering unit