Method and apparatus for retaining a flange on a fluid meter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9568129-B2
Application number	US-201214366076-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 3, 2012
Priority date	Jan 3, 2012
Publication date	Feb 14, 2017
Grant date	Feb 14, 2017

Abstract

A sensor assembly ( 5 ) for a fluid meter ( 100 ) is provided. The sensor assembly ( 5 ) comprises a sensor assembly body ( 6 ) and one or more circumferential grooves ( 303 ) formed in the sensor assembly body ( 6 ). Two or more retaining components ( 105, 106 ) are removably coupled together around at least one of the one or more circumferential grooves ( 303 ) with a portion of the two or more retaining components engaging the circumferential groove. A flange ( 104 ) is also provided that surrounds at least a portion of the sensor assembly body ( 6 ) and is retained around the sensor assembly body ( 6 ) by the first and second retaining components ( 105, 106 ).

First claim

I claim:

1. A sensor assembly ( 5 ) for a fluid meter ( 100 ), comprising:
a sensor assembly body ( 6 );
one or more circumferential grooves ( 303 ) formed in the sensor assembly body ( 6 );
two or more retaining components ( 105 , 106 ) removably coupled together and engaging at least one of the one or more circumferential grooves ( 303 );
one or more threaded mechanical fasteners engaging the two or more retaining components to removably couple the two or more retaining components to one another; and
a flange ( 104 ) surrounding at least a portion of the sensor assembly body ( 6 ) and retained around the sensor assembly body ( 6 ) by the first and second retaining components ( 105 , 106 );
wherein the two or more retaining components ( 105 , 106 ) are clamped together around the one or more circumferential grooves ( 303 ).

2. The sensor assembly ( 5 ) of claim 1 , wherein the flange ( 104 ) comprises a step ( 414 ) extending from an inner surface ( 417 ) with a portion of the inner surface ( 417 ) extending over the two or more retaining components ( 105 , 106 ) and the step ( 414 ) abutting the two or more retaining components ( 105 , 106 ).

3. The sensor assembly ( 5 ) of claim 1 , wherein the sensor assembly body ( 6 ) comprises a case ( 101 ), a pipeline interface ( 103 ), and a transition ring ( 102 ) coupling the pipeline interface ( 103 ) to the case ( 101 ).

4. The sensor assembly ( 5 ) of claim 3 , wherein the one or more circumferential grooves ( 303 ) are formed in the transition ring ( 102 ).

5. The sensor assembly ( 5 ) of claim 3 , further comprising an O-ring groove ( 404 ) formed in a face of the pipeline interface ( 103 ).

6. The sensor assembly ( 5 ) of claim 1 , wherein each of the two or more retaining components ( 105 , 106 ) includes a lip ( 415 , 416 ) sized and shaped to be received by the circumferential groove.

7. A method for retaining a flange on a sensor assembly, comprising steps of:
positioning the flange around a portion of a sensor assembly body such that the flange is located closer to a mid-portion of the sensor assembly body than a circumferential groove formed in the sensor assembly body; and
removably coupling two or more retaining components around the circumferential groove by clamping the two or more retaining components together using one or more retaining components together using one or more threaded mechanical fasteners to provide an outer diameter of a ring that is larger than at least a portion of an inner diameter of the flange, thereby preventing the flange from moving past the two or more retaining components.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the flange comprises a step extending from an inner surface with a portion of the inner surface extending over the two or more retaining components and the step abutting the two or more retaining components.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the sensor assembly body comprises a case, a pipeline interface, and a transition ring coupling the pipeline interface to the case.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the circumferential groove is formed in the transition ring.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the pipeline interface comprises an O-ring groove.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein each of the two or more retaining components includes a lip sized and shaped to be received by the circumferential groove.

Assignees

• Griffin Clinton Ray
• Micro Motion Inc

Inventors

• Griffin Clinton Ray

Classifications

• Y10T29/49826

  Assembling or joining · CPC title

• Y10T29/49947

  by applying separate fastener · CPC title

• F16L23/02 Primary

  the flanges being connected by members tensioned axially (F16L23/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16L23/0286

  the shoulder not being formed from the pipe · CPC title

• G01F15/185 Primary

  Connecting means, e.g. bypass conduits · CPC title