Apparatus to confirm correct meter sizing
AssigneeMaster Meter, Inc.
InventorsScott H. Seehoffer, Jerry Potter
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A meter register of the type having a sealed register body, and a member adapted to measure liquid flow through the meter and an antenna mounted within the register body is improved by providing a microprocessor adapted to have a calculated water meter maximum flow rate and a minimum flow rate defined as the meter flow rate range. The member co-acts with the microprocessor to determine flow rate, and the microprocessor is adapted to forward a signal to the antenna when the flow rate of the meter is outside, or within, the meter flow rate range, and the antenna transmits the signal to the water utility that the meter is not properly sized, or is properly sized, respectively.
Claims22
A meter comprising a first portion configured to permit fluid to pass from an inlet pipe to an outlet pipe, and a second portion comprising a member and a microprocessor, wherein the member is configured to measure a volume of fluid passing through the first portion and co-acts with the microprocessor to determine a flow rate of fluid based on a change in the volume of fluid passing through the first portion,
- the microprocessor having a programmed criteria defined to determine in real time if the meter is a correctly sized meter, by determining, using the microprocessor, whether the flow rate of fluid passed through the first portion satisfies the programmed criteria while the volume of fluid passes from the inlet pipe through the first portion to the outlet pipe.
A method of confirming whether an installed meter is a correctly sized meter, comprising the steps of:
- determining a flow rate of fluid passing from an inlet pipe through a first portion of an installed meter based on a change in volume of fluid passing through the first portion, the first portion of the installed meter co-acting with a second portion of the installed meter, wherein the second portion is configured to measure the change in volume of fluid passing through the first portion;
- and
- determining in real time whether the flow rate of fluid passed through the first portion satisfies a programmed criteria defined in a microprocessor that is part of the installed meter to determine if the installed meter is a correctly sized meter while the volume of fluid passes from the inlet pipe through the first portion to a pipe of a building.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.