Water meter with integral flow restriction valve
AssigneeBadger Meter, Inc.
InventorsRonald D. Benson, Eric Metzger
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A water meter (10) and a flow control valve (30) are housed in a common pressure vessel (16), in which the flow control valve (30) restricts flow through a metering chamber (18) to less than the normal flow, while still permitting a flow sufficient for basic human needs, rather than completely interrupting supply of the utility, and in which the flow control valve (30) is controlled electrically through a control valve (40) in an energy efficient manner so as to utilize power from a self-contained power source (27) in another device (25) at the customer site (50).
Claims22
A flow restriction control apparatus for a water meter having a pressure vessel providing a flow path from a water supply inlet to a water supply outlet through a metering chamber, the flow restriction control apparatus comprising:
- a flow control valve having a valve member disposed in a portion of the pressure vessel for movement between an open position allowing normal flow through the metering chamber and a flow restriction position in which flow in the metering chamber is limited to less than the normal flow;
- an electrically operable control device for controlling operation of the flow control valve;
- and
- wherein the electrically operable control device receives command signals to cause the flow control valve to restrict flow through the metering chamber to less than normal flow;
- wherein the electrical control device receives power from a self-contained power source within a wireless reception radio transceiver that is located at a customer's site with the water meter.
A flow restriction metering apparatus comprising:
- a water meter including a pressure vessel providing a flow path from a water supply inlet to a water supply outlet through a metering chamber;
- a flow control valve having a valve member disposed in a portion of the pressure vessel for movement between an open position allowing normal flow through the metering chamber and a flow restriction position in which flow in the metering chamber is limited to less than the normal flow;
- a radio-controlled control device for controlling actuation of the flow control valve;
- and
- wherein the radio-controlled control device receives command signals to cause the flow control valve to restrict flow through the metering chamber to less than a normal flow, but does not completely interrupt or shut-off flow to the metering chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.