Electricity: measuring and testing – Measuring – testing – or sensing electricity – per se – Meter protection or fraud combatting
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-01
2001-12-25
Strecker, Gerard R. (Department: 2862)
Electricity: measuring and testing
Measuring, testing, or sensing electricity, per se
Meter protection or fraud combatting
C324S157000, C324S207130, C073S861770, C377S021000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06333626
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to meters that convert mechanical rotation into an electronic signal.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A large variety of meters are designed to measure a flow of fluid, such as water or gas, or measure a flow of electricity over time. Typically the flow is used to generate mechanical rotation which operates through a gear train to produce a dial indication of total quantity. Examples are odometers, water meters, gas meters, electrical meters, hour meters, etc. These devices were largely developed before the advent of modern digital circuitry. Today many meters are read remotely, or by a digital computer or microprocessor. Thus an hour meter on a piece of equipment may need to send a digital signal to a microprocessor which controls and monitors that equipment. Water meters for example can be read remotely, for example outside a building or home, to facilitate manual reading. A remote reading may also be accomplished over the phone or by radio or satellite linked to a central computer.
The ubiquitous nature of metering devices means cost, together with high reliability, is a prime consideration. A highly reliable mechanical switch generally means a reed switch, with its hermetically sealed contacts and life of up to one billion cycles without failure. Meter mechanisms have been modified to produce an electrical output by mounting a magnet on the mechanical output dial and detecting rotation of the magnet with a reed switch. Unfortunately, tampering with the meter is always a concern where the meter output is used to calculate a charge to a consumer.
What is needed is a way to convert a rotating dial output to a digital electrical signal which is of greater resolution and which can detect tampering.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The metering device of this invention employs a magnet with ten poles which is driven to rotate by a gear connected to a gear train which is connected to a source of rotation which is proportional to fluid flow, the passage of time, or other phenomena. A reed switch is mounted so that rotation of the poles of the magnet, into and out of a position adjacent to the reed switch, causes the reed switch to open and close as the magnet rotates. The opening and closing of the reed switch results in a step change in voltage applied to an electronic device which increments a counter. The result is a device that utilizes a reed switch to convert rotary motion into an electronic signal that can be easily transmitted to and processed by a computer.
Many metering devices are used to charge customers for the amount of some commodity consumed such as water, gas or electricity and so can provide a motivation for tampering. A second reed switch sufficiently spaced from the rotating magnet so that it remains normally closed can act as a sensitive device for detecting the presence of extraneous magnetic fields. Such extraneous magnetic fields can interfere with the operation of the first reed switch that acts to sense rotation of the multi-pole magnet.
The metering device may be designed for rapid human or robotic assembly. The components of the system for converting rotation into an electric signal comprise: a circuit board on which the rotation sensing reed switch and tamper sensing reed switch are mounted, together with resistors which are connected in series with the reed switches to limit the current flow through the circuit formed when the reed switch closes; a magnetic carrier having a platter and a post extending from the platter; and a ten-pole magnetic disk which is positioned on the platter like a record on a record player. A gear train is connected between a flow sensor and the platter which carries the multi-pole magnet.
Opposed resilient plastic fingers extend upwardly from the platter through opposed slots and overlie the magnet to retain the magnetic disk. The magnet and the magnetic carrier can be simple injection molded parts. The circuit board may be manufactured in accordance with the highly automated processes that have been developed for printed circuit board manufacture. The individual parts are readily assembled by simple placement on a suitable housing which incorporates the drive gear train and an upper face through which the dial rotates to drive a dial indicator.
It is a feature of the present invention to provide a means for converting rotary motion into a digital signal.
It is a further feature of the present invention to provide a mechanism for utilizing a reed switch to detect rotary motion.
It is a still further feature of the present invention to provide a meter for measurement of fluid flow over time that can detect tampering.
It is another feature of the present invention to provide a meter for measurement of fluid flow with greater resolution.
Further features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4200785 (1980-04-01), Evans et al.
patent: 4521895 (1985-06-01), Wells
patent: 4910519 (1990-03-01), Duell et al.
patent: 6012339 (2000-01-01), Genack et al.
patent: 2101782 (1983-01-01), None
patent: 2223593 (1990-04-01), None
patent: 56-117120 (1981-09-01), None
Breed Automotive Technology Inc.
Drayer Lonnie
Stiennon Patrick
Strecker Gerard R.
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