Water meter platform

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10830625-B2
Application number	US-201716096972-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 28, 2017
Priority date	Apr 28, 2016
Publication date	Nov 10, 2020
Grant date	Nov 10, 2020

Abstract

The invention relates to a water meter platform and a housing component for a water meter platform. The housing component providing a flow tube, a sealable main compartment adapted to house a meter unit for measuring a flow of a fluid flowing through the flow tube and a flow channel interface in fluid communication with the flow tube adapted for mounting additional functional units.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A water meter platform, including:
a housing component being a monolithic polymer structure, the housing component providing:
a flow tube having a flow channel extending between an inlet and an outlet,
a sealable main compartment sharing a common wall with the flow tube, and
a flow channel interface in fluid communication with the flow channel;

a meter unit including a measurement circuit having one or more ultrasonic transducers for measuring a flow of a fluid flowing through the flow tube; and
a remote controllable valve unit arranged in association with the flow channel interface and configured to interrupt flow though the flow tube;
wherein the flow channel interface is defined inside the main compartment; and
wherein the valve unit and a self-contained power supply for powering both the meter unit and the valve unit are arranged inside the main compartment.

2. A water meter platform according to claim 1 , wherein the remote controllable valve unit includes a motorized shut-off valve comprising a valve control circuit and an electrical motor cooperating with a gearing to control a blocking member arranged to interrupt flow though the flow tube.

3. A water meter platform according to claim 1 , further comprising a communication device arranged inside the main compartment, configured to receive measurement data from the meter unit and valve data from the valve unit and to transmit such data via one or more radio frequency bands.

4. A water meter platform according to claim 2 , wherein the electrical motor via the gearing cooperates with a valve piston displaceably arranged to interrupt flow though the flow tube.

5. A water meter platform according to claim 2 , wherein the electrical motor via the gearing cooperates with a valve stem cooperating with a rotatable valve ball arranged to interrupt flow though the flow tube.

6. A water meter platform according to claim 4 , wherein first and a second gaskets are arranged around the valve piston or the valve stem with a mutual distance apart defining a seal space to provide a seal against fluid escaping from the flow channel, and wherein a drain channel, in fluid communication with the seal space, is provided to drain away fluid entering the seal space.

7. A water meter platform according to claim 1 , wherein the main compartment and its upper opening is substantially circular, elliptical or has the shape of a rectangle with semicircular ends.

8. A water meter platform according to claim 1 , wherein the length of the housing component between the inlet and the outlet is from 110 mm to 220 mm, more specifically from 110 mm to 150 mm.

9. A water meter platform according to claim 5 , wherein the housing component is provided with a valve bore for insertion of a valve ball unit comprising the valve ball, into the flow channel.

10. A water meter platform according to claim 9 , wherein the valve bore has at least one tapered side face providing a valve bore narrowing towards the flow channel.

11. A water meter platform according to claim 9 , wherein the valve bore extends from a face of the housing component outside the main compartment and into the flow channel.

12. A water meter platform according to claim 10 , wherein the valve ball unit further comprises at least one valve seat element for supporting the valve ball, the valve seat element having a tapered side face configured for abutting the tapered side face of the valve bore.

13. A water meter platform according to claim 9 , further comprising a spring element arranged inside the housing component to force the valve ball unit in a direction substantially perpendicular to the extension of the valve bore to fixate the valve ball unit inside the housing component.

14. A water meter platform according to claim 13 , wherein the spring element is adapted to force the valve ball unit towards a sealing element to provide a seal between the valve ball unit and a face of the flow channel.

15. A water meter platform according to claim 9 , wherein the flow channel interface is defined by a circumferential wall extending from the common wall between the main compartment and the flow tube, and the flow channel interface is in fluid communication with the flow channel through an opening provided in the common wall inside the flow channel interface.

16. A water meter platform according to claim 15 , wherein the drain channel is provided in the circumferential wall defining the flow channel interface.

17. A water meter housing component comprising:
a flow tube providing a flow channel extending between an inlet and an outlet,
a sealable main compartment sharing a common wall with the flow tube, the main compartment being configured to provide a housing for a meter unit a remote controllable valve unit a self-contained power supply for powering both the meter unit and the valve unit; and
a flow channel interface for mounting auxiliary functional units,
wherein the flow channel is provided inside the main compartment and
wherein the housing component is a monolithic polymer structure adapted to be cast as a single component in one machine cycle.

Assignees

• Kamstrup As

Inventors

• Skallebaek Anders
• Laursen Peter Schmidt

Classifications

• G01F15/063

  using electrical means · CPC title

• G01F15/003

  using electromagnetic, electric or electronic means (G01F15/002, G01F15/02 take precedence) · CPC title

• F16K27/067

  with spherical plugs · CPC title

• F16K37/005

  for measuring fluid parameters (F16K37/0033 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16K27/041

  cylindrical slide valves · CPC title