Consumption meter housing with feed through for external communication equipment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9714858-B2
Application number	US-201314443772-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2013
Priority date	Nov 21, 2012
Publication date	Jul 25, 2017
Grant date	Jul 25, 2017

Abstract

A consumption meter is provided with a conductive feed through for external communication equipment. The meter comprises a housing ( 104 ) which forms a closed compartment when an opening of the housing is closed with a cover ( 106 ). The compartment includes a communication module ( 204 ) and the conductive feed through comprises at least one conductive path ( 202, 408 ) from the communication module ( 204 ) to an outside part of the meter ( 102 ), which outside part is subject to ambient conditions. The path is provided via the opening of the housing and a sealing means ( 210 ) in the opening of the housing is used to seal against a first surface ( 308 ) of the conductive path when the cover is attached to the housing.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A consumption meter for measuring consumption data of a supplied utility and with a conductive feed through for external communication equipment, the consumption meter comprising:
a housing with an opening, where the housing forms a closed compartment when the opening of the housing is closed with a cover,
a seal provided at the opening of the housing configured to provide a sealed closed compartment when the opening of the housing is closed with the cover, and
a communication module provided in the closed compartment, where the conductive feed through comprises at least one conductive path from the communication module via the opening and to an outside part of the consumption meter, which outside part is subject to ambient conditions outside the closed compartment,
wherein the at least one conductive path comprises a first and a second section where the first section provides a conductive feed from the communication module, and where the second section is comprised on an inner surface of the housing or an inner surface of the cover, and where the first and second sections form a conductive connection between the first and the second sections when the consumption meter is assembled, and where the seal at the opening of the housing seals against a first surface of the conductive path when the housing is closed with the cover, and
wherein the first and second sections of the conductive path are pressed and held towards each other to form a conductive connection between the first and second sections when the consumption meter is assembled.

2. The consumption meter according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one conductive path compromises a terminal for connection of external communication equipment on the outside part of the consumption meter.

3. The consumption meter according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one conductive path passes and touches the seal in a sealing area where the seal provides a barrier between outside ambient conditions and an inside of the closed compartment.

4. The consumption meter according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one conductive path clings round an edge of the housing at the opening of the housing or clings round an edge of the cover.

5. The consumption meter according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one conductive path comprises a flexible member.

6. The consumption meter according to claim 1 , wherein the conductive path comprises a conductive micro strip, a conductive film, a printed layer or a think conductive plating.

7. The consumption meter according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one conductive path is provided by a chemical or physical vapor deposition on the housing or on the cover.

8. The consumption meter according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one conductive path is formed on or comprises an attachment layer.

9. The consumption meter according to claim 1 , wherein the least one conductive path comprises a layer with a thickness of less than 0.1 mm.

10. The consumption meter according to claim 1 , wherein one or more of the surfaces of the cover are glass surfaces.

11. The consumption meter according to claim 1 , wherein the opening of the housing is a single opening so that the closed compartment can be sealed with a single seal when the opening of the housing is closed with the cover.

12. The consumption meter according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one conductive path is a path with two or more conductive sub-paths.

13. The consumption meter according to claim 1 , wherein the consumption meter comprises external communication equipment and where the external communication equipment comprises one of an external antenna, a cable for an external antenna, or an external communication device connected to the consumption meter via a cable connected to the conductive path.

14. The consumption meter according to claim 1 , wherein the consumption meter comprises an external communication equipment, the external communication equipment being at least partly formed in the cover or in a cover holder or in the housing.

15. The consumption meter according to claim 1 , wherein the consumption meter is a water meter, cooling meter, heat meter or energy meter.

16. A consumption meter for measuring consumption data of a supplied utility and with a conductive feed through for external communication equipment, the consumption meter comprising:
a housing with an opening, where the housing forms a closed compartment when the opening of the housing is closed with a cover,
a seal provided at the opening of the housing configured to provide a sealed closed compartment when the opening of the housing is closed with the cover, and
a communication module provided in the closed compartment, where the conductive feed through comprises at least one conductive path from the communication module via the opening and to an outside part of the consumption meter, which outside part is subject to ambient conditions outside the closed compartment,
wherein the at least one conductive path comprises a first and a second section where the first section provides a conductive feed from the communication module, and where the second section is comprised on an inner surface of the housing or an inner surface of the cover, and where the first and second sections form a conductive connection between the first and the second sections when the consumption meter is assembled, and where the seal at the opening of the housing seals against a first surface of the conductive path when the housing is closed with the cover, and
wherein the at least one conductive path is provided by a chemical or physical vapor deposition on the housing or on the cover.

17. The consumption meter according to claim 16 , wherein the at least one conductive path compromises a terminal for connection of external communication equipment on the outside part of the consumption meter.

18. The consumption meter according to claim 16 , wherein the opening of the housing is a single opening so that the closed compartment can be sealed with a single seal when the opening of the housing is closed with the cover.

19. The consumption meter according to claim 16 , wherein the consumption meter comprises an external communication equipment, the external communication equipment being at least partly formed in the cover or in a cover holder or in the housing.

20. The consumption meter according to claim 16 , wherein the consumption meter is a water meter, cooling meter, heat meter or energy meter.

Assignees

• Kamstrup As

Inventors

• Laursen Peter Schmidt
• Nielsen Søren Tønnes
• Sørensen Jens Lykke

Classifications

• G01F15/06 Primary

  Indicating or recording devices · CPC title

• G01D4/02 Primary

  Details · CPC title

• G01D11/24

  Housings {; Casings for instruments} · CPC title